Loveship

Thick Skin

2012-01-10T17:56:00.000-08:00

Thick, wrinkled, gray-green skin hangs under my arm. Hairless and soft, this large cotton-lined sack with straps offers my possessions necessary protection.

Most things are divided into their own proper place. The phone has a little skin patch pocket to prevent scraping against the sharp metal objects with which it must share this home. The zip pocket hides away the more unmentionable items (to mention them: tampons). A bright red wallet peeks out of the main compartment.

Compartmentalization is key, as is durability and density. A little purse would not do, nor would a fussy handbag. This sack is just right, with its supple thickness and immense volume.

I grew to love this big bag despite shelving it for years. I love it also despite the discomfort it causes when anything of real weight is carried inside. The straps stretch, cut into my shoulder. I've taken off my shirt to find red patches of burst blood vessels at the surface of my own, notably thin, skin. This bag's surface is the opposite of my own.

I also loathe this, and all, bags. Baggage itself presents an ongoing problem. I want badly to rid myself of the need to carry around several person effects. This is nearly an impossible task. Am I bound to be a lifelong bag lady? Could I leave the comfort of my home without over ten things bound in a sack to my person? Perhaps to do so I would have to grow a thicker skin myself.

Homely

2012-01-03T18:34:00.000-08:00

Winter's light is cool and cast in blue-green. Sometimes I like the many hours of darkness. Yet I can't help but anticipate a longer day.

This is what I see when I look around my house. You could say these are some typical things for people like us. I suppose that's the nature of a type, though. The things I surround myself with are comforting, because they are real, and they are there. And because with some limited and imaginary agency I desired them and chose them for my home - a peaceful place I dreamed of for many years.

It's not a cape. It's a cloak.

2011-12-30T19:15:00.000-08:00

If you had run into me yesterday in the outside world, where it was overcast and cool but not cold, then this is what you would have seen. Not the bloggiest of blogger outfits, but that's kind of my point. It's just what I wore.

There were tan leopard print socks as well as tiny polka dots on my shirt. The shoes (vintage Robert Clergerie) are my winter counterpart to my ultimate summer mesh top slightly platformy loafer. And the leather bag is something I've owned for years but just sort of rediscovered. I think that I wasn't ready for it at the time of purchase, but have grown into it. A very satisfying feeling. More on said bag to follow.

So right, me. Heading out into the world, yet again, in clothes.

The cloak is a Christmas gift. It is vintage Scottish 3 ply cashmere. I didn't know what that meant. But apparently it's the thickest weave of cashmere which is most durable and won't pill.

This thing feels pretty amazing on, like an adult baby blanket that passes for outerwear. I'm very happy to welcome it into my closet and into my life. I imagine it will serve me quite well.

Recommended Holiday Viewing

2011-12-21T21:23:00.000-08:00

This is top to bottom classic 90s television, Nirvana appearance included. I'm a fan of RuPaul's entire (adult) life's work and philosophy of spreading love, so I had to watch this. And it's pretty amazing. This has been about as deep into the Christmas spirit as I've managed to get this year...

The Shop is Open!

2011-12-14T21:00:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone.

Following the lead of a number of other bloggers, I've decided to try out selling a few of my things through the blog.

For now it's just a couple items, including a near new blazer, vintage blue suede jacket, some Chanel shoes, and a Patrick Stephan long sleeve top for men or women.

Click on over to the "SHOP" page to see :)

Object of Desire: Dries Van Noten Ankle Boots

2011-12-11T13:35:00.001-08:00

I have a neurotic story, but I'll save it for the end. For now, just look:

I fell in love with these boots, and I had to have them. The hunt for a non-lace-up black ankle boot led me down some predictable paths. I have an etsy account filled with "favorited" 90s chunky heel chelsea boots and the like. But then I found these in a San Francisco shoe store just down the block from my home (with online store and international shipping), Gimme Shoes.

At first glance they didn't stand out to me, as my eye was drawn to ubiquitous Acne boot styles and more elaborate Dries shoes. On a second perusal of the shop, I asked to try them on, even though I wasn't fully sold on the look of them, sitting there on the shelf. But once I had them on my feet I knew we had a problem. Because they are perfect in every way and I can wear them with everything and I like the shininess and the crackle leather, the slim fit and the height of the heel and how they are almost like a 90s shoe but not clunky or with boxy shaped toe. How they are sleek but wearable and dressy but not overly so and they are really comfortable and easy to walk in, plus the little tread on the heel, what a cute touch, and if you think about it they looks like a classic Dries pump on the bottom with an extra sock-like leather piece that creates a boot, but not in a corny Marc Jacobs or Miu Miu way (that glitter boot that looks like a pump with a glitter sock is fucking heinous and so were those MJ sock-boot things). I digress. Um, what else? Oh, the stitched sole that extends from the shoe so that they will last a long time, since walking is my primary mode of transportation. Just need to cover the leather sole with an extra sole layer for heavy city wear and all will be right in my shoe game this fall.

I would also like to state for the record that the plants aren't staged. I'm just extremely lazy and sunlight comes through the window to the left. We really need to get those into a planter. They have been there, on the corner of the dining room table, for weeks.

Bum Equipment

2011-12-05T19:41:00.001-08:00

You might have noticed a slow down in posts. My life is a bit hectic, and I'm no fool when it comes to prioritizing. Blogging takes the back seat when it's crunch time for work that either pays me or might very well pay me in the near future. Plus, sickness. Plus, gluttony holiday.

Still, I'm here now. Here to show you what clothing looks like in the life of a woman who works part time to pay the bills so she can work on her actual goals of writing and such in the other amount of remaining time.

This lifestyle I find myself in requires maximum comfort, while this city I find myself in requires knitwear. Thus, my fall-winter look goes more or less as follows: I wear a lot of pullover sweaters with cozy pants. Either the sweater or the pants can be a print or a color, but so far I have not managed to be top-to-bottom print/color. (Working on that!)

For example, I have these brightly colored printed pants in a thick natural fabric that keeps my lower half climate controlled. On top, I have one cozy as fuck 100% cashmere sweater (a mens one by Adam Kimmel).

I found the pants on etsy last spring (see also), and I just picked up the cashmere sweater at Crossroads in the Castro (priced at $27, but I just traded in some old stuff for a total cost of $0).

Alternately, I have been in love with this bright aqua blue wool/poly sweater (it's J. Press for UO, hence the standard cut and bright color combined with cheap materials). I also got this secondhand on trade at the Buffalo Exchange in Haight-Ashbury (which is 90% filled with crap -- and yet I've bought two awesome things there in the last 3-4 months).

Lastly, please let me self-indulgently talk to you again about this black wool coat. I love it! It remains perfect. I wear it constantly. Remember how I got it for $9 at a thrift store in L.A.? This is the stuff my dreams are made of.

How to Wear a Sweater Vest

2011-11-17T13:51:00.001-08:00

Step 1: Buy a knit piece that is so singularly awesome, so not what you think of when you think of "sweater vest," that you own it for half a year without realizing that is meant to be worn as such.

Yesterday, I found myself wearing the tried and true American classic combination of: 1) sweater vest 2) white oxford button up 3) navy trousers, and to top it off 4) Tod's driving loafers, all without looking like a complete asshole. IMO.

Here's how it came together.

I have owned this top that I did not realize was a sweater vest for a while. I was pretty sure it was just a side boob revealing cashmere knit tank top. I always thought it was funny that a tank top, which I actually wore during the summer, would be made of cashmere. I haven't been wearing it lately because I believed it was too cold for this tank top. The sweater vest was probably confused as well, wondering why it was out in 70+ degree weather pressed right up against a human body with no layers in between.

Then it struck me. This piece of knitwear could work out quite nicely in a more fall/winter look.

Then I was like, well, trousers, duh.

I figured the only way to complete this would be with my preppiest shoe, these Tod's loafers.

So there you have it. I'm pretty into it! It's grown up and childish at the same time. Also, cozy. Also, layering.

This was my look for the outside world. I am so happy to be back in bright ass California where I need to wear sunglasses every single day even when it's about to rain. I had missed that.

Summery

2011-11-09T09:30:00.000-08:00

I know it's been autumn for a while now this side of the equator. But as a new San Francisco resident, I'm just getting the hang of this whole freezing summer/summery fall situation. So allow me the indulgence of summarizing my summer this far into the fall season. I feel like taking a look back.

Here goes.

Summer adventures began in the middle of America. A trip to Duluth, MN.

I gained a new status, ABD. It's not a disease. I went out into the world at the beginning of this summer untethered, again, from the role "student." What would it mean to persist toward a weighty new title? What would life be like after another uprooting from place?

It was cold in Duluth.

I saw these strange passenger ship cabin displays in a maritime museum on Lake Superior.

It grew warm quickly after. Every chance possible, I convened with the best people I had come to know on a truly memorable balcony. There are some pictures, but those are for me. I miss those times. They were gone far too soon.

Before I knew it, the warmth and weekly porch BBQ sessions were over. I got a sunburn at a yard sale, where I rid myself of the things I treasured for my brief stay in Minnesota. It was really summer then. Hot and sticky, and full with the love of real friends.

Before I knew it I was in a strange, beautiful new place.

It was cold again, very cold. And I was lonely.

But the beauty to behold at every turn overwhelmed my wary heart.

I went to Los Angeles, seeking the love of old friends. It awaited me unchanged, and I was happy.

We went to a baseball game.

Mostly we talked, and I soaked up the sun I so desperately craved. I remebered a truth it took moving far away to understand: I love southern California.

I bought a dress by Won Hundred at Mohawk General Store. (Of course I did.) I wore it to see the ocean again.

I ate delicious seafood.

I went back to San Francisco, and before I knew it summer was peaking. It was still cold in this city. But on my husband's 30th birthday, conditions were perfect.

We rode the ferry. I love a boat ride. My hair has grown so long.

We went to Muir Woods and saw the most incredible things.

The redwoods

Glistening spiderwebs

This fern that really looks just like this, like a hovering neon green fog

This wonderful plant whose name I do not know, and a bee. Spot the bee.

What is technically "fall" arrived and it got quite warm here. I explored more. I put in something of an effort.

This happened.

Now it has turned cold, again. This summer I learned to adapt, again. I focused on maintaining balance, health, and well-being. I bought some amazing things, but I didn't show you them all just yet. I don't know what to say about that. Sometimes you just act out of habit, to feel yourself remain while the world delivers you change.

I just think it's really beautiful here.

But this place is not yet my own.

Approaching Unfinished

2011-11-05T10:00:00.000-07:00

I won't pretend to know much about ikebana beyond the basics. The Japanese art of flower arranging speaks to me in form and style, even though I have never practiced it, nor studied its history in any depth.

(via)

But from my first encounter with this artistic practice, it captured my attention. I instantly found it favorable to its Western counterpart. When I think of flower arranging in a culturally generalized way, the US style seems to historically favor overstuffing a vase with flowers of either uniform or perfectly staggered height, striving for a sort of perfection in terms of color coordination and matchiness, sometimes with a gaudy ribbon and extra fluff thrown in the mix to "fill it out."

This parallels a generalized Western attitude toward style and trends. Coordination, accessorizing, and neatness are the rule. "Finish the look!" Lack of jewelry, makeup, or other "finishing touches" and one risks an unfinished look, something we are constantly told is an actual, material risk in most aspects of social life.


(via)

Ikebana is about the value of the empty space, the place of the void. It is about a studied intimacy with and respect for the non-human world. It is about meditating on nature in its imperfections. It seems to me that the traditional Western style arrangement reflects a desire to master and perfect nature, and then to domesticate only its most beautiful elements in a voluptuous display.


(via)

Ikebana came to mind instantly when I read the following quotes, from The Talks interview with Yohji Yamamoto:

(Note how he immediately moves to correct the loadedness of this question about cultural determinations and differences.)

How are your designs connected to your Japanese heritage?

Think of the association with Japan as an exotic exchange. It is fun. Japanese people, or Asian people, like European aesthetics and European people love Asian sensibilities. So as an exchange of senses it is all right. In that way I agree 100 percent. But when a paper writes about me, they start with “the Japanese designer…” We have to find a new vocabulary. I understand why European people take my creations as very Japanese. It is probably because if you see a creation as a whole, as 100 percent, I will always try to finish before arriving at 100. This five, seven, or ten percent we call empty or in between or uncompleted in Japanese.

Can you give me an example?

It’s when you go to shut a window or door and leave a space. We need this space, so I design space. Space has always been very important in Japanese traditional art of every genre – like painting, sculpting, or theatrical expression. The space of expression is even more important than the visual or written.

The empty space and the unfinished are extremely attractive concepts to me. Never the perfectionist, I want to move toward my own idea of mastering a meditative, reflective, aware, and comfortably balanced "style" in my life.

To be unfinished, contrary to the "advice" of the beauty magazines I should really stop reading, does not necessarily mean to be sloppy, lazy, or unaware. I am consciously embracing my lack of polish. I do not complete my style 100 percent. And yet I take time in every step of the process, from choosing the garments, to arranging them on my body, to taking away when there is one element too many, to piling on misshapen volumes on days when I need the protection. I like to untuck, or roll up, layer or leave undone in ways someone, somewhere, once told me I shouldn't.

The empty spaces where there could be an earring, curled lashes, stacked bracelets, or the right bag are voids of my conscious determination. I am more interested in the line, the space between folds, and especially the intimate space of contact in between the inner lining of the garment and my own skin.

I plan in all aspects of my life to always be approaching something, never fully arriving. This is more satisfying, more true, than brief moments of false perfection.

I see it like this: you can stuff all your flowers into the nicest crystal vase, choosing only the most perfect and expensive specimens, and you can marvel at the perfection that you created based on a mandate of beauty that excludes the humble and imperfect in nature. And you can celebrate this creation, taking credit for its loveliness. But it will still betray you. It will decay. Or, you can accept the humble and the strange, and cultivate a closeness with the real, knowing that it might not always be considered beautiful. Its value will come from the knowledge you gained in the process of its shaping.

Things Make the Woman

2011-10-25T23:09:00.000-07:00

There is a woman I often see who wears nice things, always. Every time I see her, I comment, "Oh, that's a nice [thing]." She replies, "I got it at [a place where things cost a pretty penny]." Or sometimes, the thing is "vintage."

She is lovely and sweet, and she has a neat, stylish haircut. She seems daring for her age, what with her smart haircut and endless display of nice, unique, attention-getting things to wear.

When I think of this woman, I mostly think of the things that adorn her. Not anything about her, but just what she was wearing on separate occasions, occasions of which none stand out as noteworthy, other than the impression left by her items of clothing. In my mind, she is simply "that coat I saw once." And man, what a coat. The coat had a "unique" cut, which was balanced by the fact that it was rendered in tones of olive and army green. I don't often see a coat that looks exactly like it, because of it's slightly "unique" cut. Although, come to think of it, it does resemble plenty of other more popular, mainstream coats, that I do often see.

I digress.

In her remarkable and interesting garments, she never fails to look a bit extraordinary. She accumulated enough things over the years to present herself every day as a person of above-average "taste" in clothing. This last sentence is what I imagine she and the people who know her have come to believe, what is probably noted about her.

Now, before I go any further (because I'm about to ask some questions that might seem critical and be mistaken as insulting to this lovely woman -- which is not my intention at all), it must be said that I know very little about this woman personally. I know a few basic details of her family life and interests. I know her approximate age. I do not know her beliefs, dreams, hopes, hates, or desires. I do not know her deeply at all.

But her clothing tells me a few things. It tells me that she has money, first and foremost. And she enjoys spending that money on clothing. This is not unusual. But does her daily display of unique, interesting, attention-getting, well-fitting, layered, patterned, patchwork, designer-and-vintage-mixed clothing and up-to-date accessories and shoes mean anything about her person? Anything at all? Is she more intriguing? More beautiful? More appealing to other stylish women as a potential friend?

What does it mean to have achieved some current mandate of stylish dressing?

I don't know. I'm just asking.

Black and White Swirl

2011-10-13T09:43:00.000-07:00

This is an outfit I recently wore.

I wore it to work.

We can all agree these pants are amazing, right?

I bought them because of this.

The Ontology of a Used Blouse

2011-09-16T03:49:00.000-07:00

Outfit Deconstruction: Part 1

Intro
A categorical "real" or "fake" is an impossible distinction when it comes to clothing. Forget what the design council of whatever says about copyright and intellectual property and ownership and loss of profits. Set those well-worn point/counterpoint crossfire-style argumentation strategies aside.

Consider instead: The silk worm whose purpose from birth to death is to feed on mulberry leaves and emit the raw material for luxury garments, the technology of digital printing, the forever nameless and faceless garment worker covering tiny buttons in fabric, the physical space of a pattern archive and of endless reference libraries and visits to vintage showrooms for "inspiration." Consider the limitations: shirt, dress, pant, shoe, the body. But from these constraints the Great and Notable Designers of All Times provide infinite beauty through creation and creativity.

1.1
It's no secret that one designer I consider worthy of the title is Dries Van Noten. So you can imagine my excitement to stumble across a blouse "by" Mr. Van Noten on humble Etsy.com.

1.2
The label sewn into the neck is akin to a signature, a form of authorship. At a vintage store, a dress might be labeled "handmade by [insert your grandma's name here]." This seems special to many of us. Likewise, a "designer" garment. We feel connected the the cult of the designer, her or his brand, often closely linked to a persona. But what of the garment itself? What makes it real?

This is a question I asked myself about this blouse.

photo via etsy listing

Scenario: A box arrives, taped in hot pink and filled with more than enough tissue paper, a handwritten thank you note. She opens the box, promptly tries on blouse, feels excitement over the intricacies of a print, unlike anything she's theretofore possessed. Marveling at its feather-like weight, she is content.

She inspects the inside of the blouse, out of habit. All seams are covered and finished, the construction a wonder for a shirt made out of fabric like a summer scarf. She checks the care tag. And there it is, the inscription, "Made in China." Further, a minor misspelling in the detailed message about not wearing jewelry so as not to snag the delicate fabric. And then the contradictory instruction to wash, rather than dry clean, the delicate silk blouse. She feels a sinking feeling.

1.3
China, where silk was perfected. China, where cheap clothes come from. China, a complication. I thought this was a Belgian designer?

Scenario: She now spends hours searching for more information. She is perfectly aware of the small likelihood that anyone would go through the trouble of creating a knockoff of an obscure designer's blouse line. And yet. Google is there with image searches and shopping search results, and she scans for those words, "Made in..." Where does Dries Van Noten manufacture clothing? Seems like Eastern Europe, sometimes Belgium, sometimes not Belgium. She knows enough to know that all the designers have things made in China. Why would her beloved be any different? And why, she wonders to herself DOES IT EVEN MATTER?

Real or fake? Keep or sell? How did I feel before? Maybe the fit is not so good around my hips. Do I want things because of who they are made by? Maybe I need to further reevaluate residual issues with class, ascendency, and ownership.

1.4
I decide: I have minor issues with the fit. It gathers on my hips where i wish it draped loose. This can be altered easily by adding vertical slits. I put on an outfit. Yet another pair of new pants. These make me happy. They are vintage, no tags. Selected solely for cut, fit, fabric, style. Easy.

Vintage pants from Reliquary boutique in Hayes Valley, San Francisco

Final Scenario: Etsy email exchange. She kindly asks for more information, no intention to leave negative feedback, no intention to return, no complaining whatsoever. Just a request for more background, if possible. Response: The blouse is from an estate sale in Colorado. It's been worn and dry cleaned. Seller never went this level of nutso over the details of information that will never be available, simply wore it and enjoyed it.

Conclusion
Searching for information about a thing to determine its realness is futile. The blouse is as real as the photo of it that I posted to the internet to show you that I bought a Dries Van Noten blouse. Tags or no tags, it's as real as the silk thread that gives it shape. There is a blouse. I typed a 16 digit code plus some personal identification information, and days later a package arrived and in it, something resembling some digital images upon which I based my transfer of Magic Money from a place that may not exist to a place where it can again be used in much the same way.

Deep Soul Search Results
I think that I just wanted my first time* to be more special. But isn't that how it always goes.

--------
*buying Dries Van Noten

Outfit Deconstruction: Part 2

Vanity

Maximal Pant-age for a Minimal Life

2011-09-12T19:46:00.000-07:00

I think it's safe to say that I've developed a full-blow pants problem. As in, I keep buying new pants. Enough is enough! I have enough pants. I need to stop. I don't even have that many good shirts to go with this plenitude o' pants.

This pair comes from my St. Vincent de Paul of Los Angeles thrift store haul, from back in July. Actually, they came to me from my bff's findings, made mine in a generous thrift hand-down. Here, you can witness my first time wearing them out of the house. Or really, on my body at all since trying them on. So much hot pink fabric. Blah blah spring summer Jil Sander blah blah blah...

And so this was yesterday. This is not at all how I intended to capture these pants in photos to show to you guys. I meant to do some sleek n' chic minimal wall-standing, looking regal a la Brook and Lyn or some shit. I considered shirt tucked (pants are very high-waisted, as in there is about 5 more inches of rise covered by my shirt, below) but in the end, this is how I actually wore my clothes. So, realness.

Anyhow, I went off to find some perfectly lit wall in the harsh mid-day sun. (I was reminded how I didn't do so well in photo class.) I also wanted to show you the pants in motion, somehow. Billowing in the wind like they do. Something where you could almost hear the swish swish sound they make through the screen.

But, I got distracted. By this sign.

And then, further derailed by these beekeepers who we at first took to be a hilltop cult gathering for cultish activities, which IMO urban beekeeping might as well describe.

The real reason I can't be bothered to tuck in this shirt, even if it looked better from the front (ie gave me a waist, ie made me look thinner in photos), is this amazing back vent. I've sung the praises of this linen t-shirt before, but it is truly a fine garment. Goes well with many a crazy pant, and should last forever. I hope. I find the peek of back a sort of sexy that I can deal with, and I don't evoke the term "sexy" too often to describe my dress.

There is so much more fabric than you can even imagine. And if the pants weren't enough on their own, just think, they were originally part of a 2 piece pant suit, with matching jacket.

Some beautiful pleating, and my olive colored bag. Here, post-soy latte and blueberry muffin.

So there you have it. I went out one morning in hot pink enormé pants, posed in front of an aggressive spray painted message, then underneath some hilltop beekeepers, and then stopped for a latte and muffin. I'll have you know that after that outing, it was time to go home right back home.

Great Recommendations

2011-09-01T00:53:00.001-07:00

It is only through the generosity of others that this lil ole blog has grown. Many new visitors are graced with my ramblings when sweet ladies like Miss Woo of Cheapskate Chic explicitly tell her readers to come pay me a visit. Enough of you have decided to stick around that I thought I might pass along a few of my very favorite current reads of the style blog variety.

I hope you enjoy these as much as I do!

*****

sink then swim // Claudette
Claudette and I met briefly and crossed paths a few times while I was living in the Twin Cities. Yet we never exchanged more than a few niceties. I'll spare you my Craigslist Missed Connections lamentation on what our relationship could have been. What you should know is that the woman has impeccable taste and enviable style. Her blog contains a perfect balance of insightful text and striking imagery. I regularly learn about new people, places, and things from her.

For instance, did you know that seen from their peaks all mountains, regardless of shape or size, cast triangular shadows?

And it was her post on this Tilda Swinton editorial following a staff change at W and that led me to pick up a copy at the airport. I am seriously kicking myself for leaving it on the plane.

Claudette features some things fashion, but just as often posts concern photographers, artists, natural phenomena, or writers. I always look forward to her posts. Ok that last one goes for the other two ladies listed below as well.

*****

the animal orchestra // Nadia
Nadia's blog is another source of enviable imagery. But this isn't just fancy photographs of myriad goods. She features sparse and carefully selected pieces of a cohesive aesthetic environment. Often, images focus on the details in close-up, highlighting an interest in textures, colors, plays of light. I very much enjoy this sense of the materiality of her objects. When she chooses to share her things, it's clear they are special.

I tried to "sum up" what I want to say to you about Nadia with some eloquence beyond just "go read her blog now," but all I can think about is how fucking rad that skirt and ring look. Damn.

*****

through a glass darkly // Ally

I like Ally's blog for a couple of reasons. One, she is open about her life process as a young woman moving through the world. I enjoy her honesty and voice. But what caught my attention initially were her collages of awesome shit I would either want to wear or love to see people wearing, and her photos of her surroundings in Glasgow (though she has since moved to London).

I particularly enjoyed these scenes from her old neighborhood.

And I specifically remember this collage. It piqued my interest and led to a deep perusal of her archives, because I'm an internet creep like that. I fell in love with that wooden platform sandal and the rest is RSS feed subscription history.

*****

Each of these blogs delivers quality over quantity, and each of these ladies has a keen eye for what suits their taste. What comes across to me, despite stylistic differences, is the sense that behind the intriguing pictures these are all young women trying to make something of themselves.

Reading these, I feel connected to others working to create a space and a mode of being that suits particular sensibilities. As a place to play with the malleable ideas of images, blogs encourage growth and change, not only in outward appearances. They allow, at times demand, deepening one's consciousness. As far as I can tell, working such things out via style in a public forum is as good a place as any to move through this process.

Comfort Inn

2011-08-25T13:27:00.000-07:00

When adjusting to a major life change and maintaining balance by staying home during most of one's free time, a comfortable uniform for work and play is ideal. I'm talking about me here. I wear this outfit a lot lately. And I'm pretty sure it rules.

How perfect is the t-shirt? Have you ever seen a more prefect specimen in heather gray? The crew neck, the sleeve length, the overall length, the fit, and what you can't see here is that it's not a basic cotton. It has this incredible smoothness, almost a sheen, like a heavy silk or even some poly or acrylic or lycra or acetate or something I don't even know about. (I do not know because the tags are all washed out.) Basically, it's very, very smooth on the surface. Imagine a bathing suit material mixed with the softest vintage t-shirt and that is what it feels like to me. It is made by Bally, and I picked it up secondhand at Crossroads in the Castro.

Speaking of soft and smooth, these pants are also both of those things. Pleats, loose fit, low rise, zipper on the hip. There were a ton of these on sale at Gap. I probably should have bought more of them, and in other colors. They are great pants.

You should already know about these mesh top shoes.

I also got this coat during that shopping day in the Castro. It's linen, and lined. It seemed quite overpriced compared to everything else I bought in this used clothing haul. I say overpriced because I had no idea what this brand Nakkna was, and no one working there could tell me either. They just said to me, "It's avant-garde, you know," when I inquired as to how they determined the used selling price. I looked it up when I got home and felt justified for my spending, somehow.

It is a pretty great coat, and needed to be mine. Costs be damned! Right? No? That's not how this works?

This post was written while listening to Beck's 'Modern Guilt.' But the truth is, I don't have guilt feelings. Not about buying clothing at least. No I do not need it but I need it you know? I need it the way a musician needs instruments and the way a chef needs good cookware. No I do not make anything of value by wearing clothing on my body. No I do not sell my "style," though, come to think of it, many bloggers have, and that is wonderful in its way. Maybe there are other ways to circulate something of value though. Ways that do not have to do with money. I use the tag "sharing" a lot. Because I want to share, and I want to be shared with.

We all have to balance our own budgets, a highly personal matter. But what's the big secret? That you have more than you are comfortable with? Or less? I am content with my livable combined income gained through the privilege of heterosexual marriage and able-bodied-and-minded employment. And I want more. Not a lot, but just a smidge more. And right now, with a mountain of debt I prefer not to think about and no prospect of ever shedding it, and with a studio apartment and some decent furniture, and with a life filled with love, and with some decent shit to wear that I feel good wearing, I am great.

But this cold has got to go. I think the sinus pressure is making me write weird things on the internet.

What's Actually In My Bag

2011-08-15T13:14:00.001-07:00

If you are like me you don't give much of a shit about what is being toted around inside the purses of other ladies. The contents of a purse are personal. I recall growing up that wallets and bags were sacred places. To look inside someone else's was a violation.

When I bought resale clothing to pay the bills, a bag was a potential hazard to be handled with care. Who knows what could be lurking in the dark recesses of leather or pleather? And oh, the things we found. Bags also acquire a smell, a combination of the owner's essence and the contents bleeding into the crevices. I'm much more aware of the previous owner of a used bag than a used garment. It seems to take longer to make a used bag your own.

But this is my used bag, the one I've carried the most frequently this year. Inside are my things. Last night the contents were all exposed, because I was moving them from a day backpack (we went to the woods) back into this black leather bag. It was during that moment of exposure, with the contents of my bag scattered on our bed, that Michael laughingly insisted that I "do one of those posts where you arrange everything from your bag!" The joke here is that the true contents of my bag are slightly embarrassing.

So without further ado, I present to you, the contents of my bag arranged neatly and photographed.

We have here (clockwise from top):

Newest sunglasses, Vintage Ray Bans
Peet's coffee thingy from Michael's morning coffee. I don't save these. I'm a little fuzzy on how and why it came back home with us.
One playtex regular absorbency tampon, unscented
One iphone
Pack of spearmint Orbitz, approx. 4 months old
CDG wallet, birthday gift :)
Ortho tri-cyclen lo for prevention of unwanted humans. iPhone assists here with daily alarm.
Used Kleenex tissue #1. I just don't see the sense in throwing these out after only one use to dab at my daily excess nostril moisture. It's not snot, it's condensation. Brought on by changes of temperature or excess wind. Scientific fact.
2 Hair elastics
3 Bobby pins. And let me get this straight, you UK gurls call these "Kirby Grips"? Is that right?
Empty water bottle from breakfast (burrito) purchase
Yet another hair holding device, a tiny claw clip
3 Naturacare applicator free, regular absorbency tampons. These are much preferred to the Playtex, ladies: Organic unbleached all pure and natural cotton for your vag. I guess I keep that old synthetic cancer 'pon in case I'm in a situation where going applicator free seems unwise. I waver on my hippiedom.
Heavily used Burt's Bees basic minty lip balm
Old wadded up napkin: I typically have a grip of these on hand, in addition to the Kleenex. It's my way of not having to actually buy more tiny Kleenex too often. I take a paper napkin or 3 in my purse when leaving any restaurant or cafe. Always be prepared, that's my thinking.
Currently using Burt's Bess hand cream. Must. Always. Have. Lotion.
Hot pink tape measure. Yes, I carry a tape measure with me.
Another Kleenex, you get the picture.
House keys
Lint
Another Orbitz, this one even older I believe. Berrymint or some shit. I don't like gum.
Preparation H Totables. Because a certain kind of relief can only be provided by the soothing powers of witch hazel and aloe.
Mini Kleenex pack you've been hearing so much about
Pilot G2, .05. A great cheap pen.
Sephora mauve lip gloss/stick. Wait, make that "Sephora LIP ATTITUDE in GLAMOUR."

Repacked and ready to get on with my glamo(u)rous life:

I threw out the water bottle and coffee thing. But those napkins and Kleenex are definitely still good.

Basic Shapes

2011-08-12T14:57:00.000-07:00

An outfit for going out. Where going out = walking to a taqueria, having 1 taco and 1 beer, walking to a cute bar, having 1 Jack and ginger, walking home. And um, stopping at another taqueria on the way home for a veggie burrito, half of which is about to be today's lunch. I may have had 2 dinners, but I did succeed in my goal of portion control at each.

Luckily my shit eating habits of late and my propensity for baggy clothing correspond nicely with one another. I wanted to show you guys my outfit, even if I didn't feel up to attempting nice photos. My life is no editorial anyhow. Try to see past the dated blogger aesthetics to the clothing itself.

Mirror shots are still cool with me.

Seen here: Alexander Wang sweater, Zero + Maria Cornejo silky tank top, H&M pants from long, long ago; all bought at secondhand/consignment shops. Those shoes are some real nice Via Spigas. Don't hate.

I hope you all have a happy and love-filled Friday and weekend. Michael had a major birthday and so we will be celebrating. I've gotta go frost a cake now. Catch ya later.

The P Word

2011-08-04T15:01:00.001-07:00

Thrifting with the right friend makes the whole experience sweeter. You can encourage one another to embrace the ridiculous, knowing it'll only set you back 5 bones, or less (ideally). Such was the case last week when my bff and I descended on her favorite St. Vincent de Paul in LA.

I haven't had such a good time and such good results actually thrifting (not resale, there's a difference, it's in the price) in so long. I was starting to lose faith that it could still be this good. But just look at these pants! Paisley!! I know homegirl thought I was stricken with thrift store "crazy eye" (a condition brought on by intensively scrutinizing discarded fashions in a dimly lit warehouse for over 40 minutes) when I pulled these off the rack like I had unearthed a rare, precious treasure. But I've actually been in the market for some paisley for about 8-9 months now. Yes. 8-9 months it has been since I thought, "I know... PAISLEY!"

And so it was.

Windblown: I'm doing it wrong.

These are the perfect tapered trouser cut, and were had for a fair $3.99. Perfect for my "just escaped from months of unemployment" budget vacay allowance. Loose through the hips and thighs, and very high on the waist. Lightweight cotton. Vintage GAP.

Also scored was this coat. Brand: Dumas (?), price: $9.99. Featuring: almost unacceptably big shoulder pads, shawl collar, no closure, straight cut and drapey along the body, baggy sleeves, a length not already featured in my closet. Results so far: Perfect for the lack of any real season that is life in San Francisco.

Seriously, why do I actually still need a coat in July? For a couple weeks this was bumming me out. But LA helped, and now I'm fully embracing it. It's fall (ie the best season for dressing) all year here! Why would I ever complain about that??

And look, I took the camera out of the house. It's still quite empty inside our place right now, so I thought I would treat you to some color and texture while I commence the standing in front of walls. Fuck a blogging cliché, walls are still my favorite backdrops. Maybe I'll feature more of San Francisco's many beautiful walls in the future. But you'll never catch me in the middle of the street. It's not that middle of street photos don't look great. They certainly do. They literally put the "street" in "street style" (har har). But they always look so dangerous to me!

That said, thanks to my homie Dylan for the pictures. He was standing in the middly of an alley street taking these and was unaware of an oncoming car. I warned him of course (see below), and he is safe and sound. But it just showed me that the stakes are high, and the dangers very real, in this cutthroat game we call fashion blogging.

Bloggers in the Bathroom with Brands

2011-08-01T12:33:00.001-07:00

The following internet non-events have taken place over the past couple of weeks. They are interlinked and disagreeable to my sensibilities.

First, I received a slightly spammy but nevertheless slightly intriguing email to check out some girl's blog. I did. It was all faux dramatic narrative and teenage avant aesthetics and skeletal figures, alcohol, and mystery. I remained intrigued momentarily, not for the content, intentional controversy, or imagery, but for wondering how and why this exists in the world. I showed Michael who said the best thing: "Oh, that's just some kid playing on the internet." Indeed.

Yet on her blog I followed some links and ended on another, different, blog. Different because this one was all sunkissed skin and shiny things and platforms and always outdoor photos, always. It was young and thoughtless, like so much of the internet.

Just add blogger.

But on each of these internet-space visits to other people's portrayals of their fabulous, cool, mysterious teenage lives, I saw that they had recently visited the same space IRL. One notable, name-drop worthy luxury hotel. Inside said hotel, a whole gaggle of girl bloggers convened in a bathroom to take photos of one another in their dress-up outfits. The fact that I am writing about this is serving the higher purpose.

(((Am I failing to resist this PR stunt? Can one be critical, engaged, and sincerely concerned in an era when the only thing that counts, absolutely, in the last instance, is numbers? Page hits, clickthroughs, backlinks, advertising revenue increases for someone somewhere, and the intrigue of lithe barely legal bodies drives an insatiable urge to consume without thought, without regard for others, to be on-trend at all costs.)))

And then I was invited to compete to join this bathroom party, so to speak. I received an email offering me the "chance of a lifetime" to be part of a group of bloggers that convene on a webpage to show off free shit they've been showered in by brands. The agency sending me the email had arranged the PR stunt in the bathroom at the famous hotel. They are elusive and cool, sort of. They are assholes, but self-aware assholes. Their email told me that I would violate copyright law if I reposted it here:

"This email and the information contained therein is copyrighted, privileged and confidential. It is intended for the addressee(s) only. The unauthorised use, disclosure or copying of this email, or any information it contains, is prohibited."

Really, you can copyright an email message? I actually just now read this very tiny print at the bottom of the email as I was preparing to copy and paste it here. But it's better this way, because that email was littered with unnecessary links. Perhaps you also received this email, my fellow readers who write blogs? I thought briefly of participating, to try to do something from the "inside." But that is stupid. We are all on the inside. There are no cool insiders, no rebellious ones, and no "plucky outsiders" anymore either. We're all in this bullshit together.

*****

Via some PR site. Blogs are relevant!

The above quoted phrase comes from a great post I recently came across (via a Susie Bubble/Luxe Chronicles twitter conversation), "Bloggers in Bed with Brands". The post includes further information worth viewing, especially the documentary "Made in LA." I was compelled to comment when I noticed that this blogger (who I just found because of the Susie Bubble repost to twitter) received mostly negative comments for this post. After involving myself in comment conversation, one responder asked if I, the arrogant, pompous, bitch who bothered to defend the gist of the original post, critical and cautious about the trend toward bloggers as their own brands, had ever worn Topshop?? (For the record: no. But Forever 21: yes, regrettably.) Because of course then, my purity would be spoiled and my ultimate hypocrisy revealed. This is a tired argument because it is not an argument at all. It's internet trolling. It's when someone thinks "ha ha, trumped 'em" when really they just missed the entire point.

Fashion blogging is so over, such an old trend. So 2007. Young, attractive girls sell their bodies as ad space to the highest bidder and fan the flames of desire in other young girls. This goes for men as well, but is clearly much more widespread among young women. Non-events are held in which things that look shiny and cute on camera such as mini-cupcakes, champagne, and frilly dresses with platform shoes abound, while the digital camera wielding masses clamor for the money shot, literally. This is not art. It is not fashion. It is not style. It is only one thing: marketing.

In a few more years, no one will remember that it even happened. The most apt comment on the "Bloggers in Bed with Brands" post noted that it's just like celebrity endorsements, "...who can tell me who was the face of Versace in 2004? And do we really care who was the face of Versace in 2004?" Exactly. We will forget these children and their Jeffrey Campbell sponsored frolicking, and we will wonder why we are still stuck in such a dismal state as communities crumble and unemployment stagnates. As global inequality continues to increase, and as infrastructure and social welfare further weakens, as we face grown up problems and our frail bodies lament our lack of healthcare, we will wonder, what else might we have been doing with our knowledge, youth, beauty, intrigue, and fascinations? How might we contribute, matter, live meaningfully, and thrive, not in our wealth but in our well-being?

This isn't about criticizing any person or any brand or any blog or any one thing. This is thinking out loud about how choices are connected to wider-reaching outcomes. It's about picking at that sliver of an opening where freedom of expression and self fashioning slides seamlessly into an always deeper reaching marketing campaign to drive corporate profits and thus maintain the status quo: the accumulation of wealth among a tiny percentage of humans.

I want to continue blogging, but a branded identity attached to my person is not the goal here. I remain interested in the possibilities of talking openinly about clothing, beauty, and style. My forum has been co-opted, like all the others. Oh well. I still seek out those driven by the desire for something more, something else. Not a way out (there is no outside), but a better way.

There is no "chance of a lifetime." Life is what is happening right now. The chance for transformation and to feel differently is present in each choice, big or small. Nothing changes because of a free drink, dress, or trip to a vestige of past relevance. Please don't be fooled by the shiny images.

Black and White, Again

2011-07-29T11:31:00.003-07:00

This is a look that is harder for me to deal with visually than it is to wear physically. The sensory wearing of these two pieces of clothing feels right. The skirt is a heavy cotton, akin to a good oxford shirt material, and is lined with another, thinner, cotton piece underneath. The top/dress is a rayon-polyester blend, which I would usually shun, only its tag tells me it was made in Paris, France. I'm pretty sure those cancel each other out in the arithmetic of consumption, leaving a remainder that is a basic, long, black, full button-up, long sleeve dress that can also be worn as a shirt. Just think of all the button options.

To give you an idea of the feeling of this outfit, it provides me the sense that I'm a lithe 80s pseudo-bohemian goth on the top, and a hippie peasant pining for the garb of the Victorian era on the bottom. (This is just an example.)

Truthfully, though, pining for the past isn't that appealing to me. I just never tire of the boldest of contrasts, black and white. And I like this silhouette and the play of geometry depending on how many buttons are buttoned, and whether I put one or two hands in the skirt's pockets. Despite my languid, un-made-up face, this is me having fun with clothes. Really.

Vague Days

2011-07-19T14:23:00.001-07:00

July is a peak in the calendar year. July holds my father's and my brother's birthdays. And just around the corner, in August, the birthdays of my husband and my best friend. In past Julys I traveled to beautiful places, held intimate conversations, and forged bonds that taught me what is precious and wonderful about life. My Julys are joyous and impassioned, deep and hot and true. In the best of my adult years, I've lived July with the whole of my being, extended myself with others until the distances between us disappeared. I've fallen in love in July. It is the month of my most treasured memories.

That is a lot to live up to. Halfway through this July I am struck by how detached it has been, I have been. I displaced myself and wander streets in a city that feels at once my ideal home and a distant stranger. Not trying hard to embrace it -- because my love for this place comes so easy -- I wonder at my empty heart, my lethargic legs. I go to bed early and assemble myself to walk through a series of daily tasks, again.

Costume National shirt from Crossroads in the Castro. Pants from Etsy.

Do you know these pants? They have no label inside, but are quite well made. Perfect single pleats at the hips and back of the knees.

Mesh top shoes (!) are vintage Nine West from Community Thrift in the Mission.

----

I have many new clothes. Bought here, in my new city, secondhand. They fit well, and are of wonderful quality. Some are designer labels. Some have no labels. Each new garment I have bought (and there are many) felt right. With these purchases I assure myself that I have a past, that some things are certain, that I will have a bright future.

We don't have much but we have more than enough.

2011-07-18T13:13:00.000-07:00

While piecing together a new home, I've been taking some whimsical pictures. I hope you don't mind me sharing.

I picked these flowers from the side of the road.

New thrift store dishes.

The handle on our tea kettle broke this morning. Bummed. Gonna have to contact the people at Paula Deen cookware.

Evening view

Hyper minimal living is nice for now, but man, I need a couch and also some comfortable chairs to sit in. The decorating choices feel overwhelming. Wish I had a whole bunch of money to go along with my #firstworldproblems.

Still Neutral

2011-07-11T16:43:00.003-07:00

Another Saturday look, this time for a day spent walking around in the Castro. Nothing beats these pants, they fucking rule. They are like my superhero cape because I feel unstoppable in them. Also, billowy-ness. Nevermind.

Pants by Shirin Guild. Ya'll long time readers know about my love for her, professed here, and here. (And if you followed that first back link, woah! olden times!)

More recently, I came across this post, "History and the Harem Pant," on the Threadbared blog that made me pause and consider a bit more deeply my pant nomenclature.

An excerpt:

"While I enjoy the intellectual and artistic transformation of the shape of the body through clothing (see Issey Miyake’s Pleats, Please!), I also find it useful to be skeptical of the ways that geopolitical rubrics of race, nation, gender and sexuality are mapped through such transformations (think bullshit Orientalisms perpetrated by hostile fashion journalists about the so-called “Hiroshima bag lady” of 1980s Japanese designers). The most obvious yet often unasked question –why the term harem to qualify this pant?– requires a history lesson."

Consider me now historically schooled.

This jacket is another super worn, comfy piece I'm very pleased to have brought into my life a few years ago. Against my better judgement, I wear it all the time with almost anything.

Super soft, worn out vintage tee... This is starting to sound like I'm describing my outfit for a pajama party.

Tactile enjoyment of textile textures.

So lank. Shoulda been a sk8er boi.

*****

And it was on this day in history that yours truly felt like she understood herself, her body, her desired look, her desires in general, not as an individual, whole, fully-formed entity but as a woman in a continual process of, well, fuck it, I'll just say it: becoming.

Heavy Friday

2011-07-08T13:47:00.000-07:00

Do you know about Adam Curtis? I suspect he's more well-known in the UK, where the BBC airs his films. I saw his Power of Nightmares in a college class but didn't know much about Curtis, the director, until recently. Turns out he is just my kind of life inspiration: a former college professor turned BBC news man whose creative work consists of making what I would call an ongoing multimedia thesis out of found footage and interviews. Dude is bringing it in terms of ethics, philosophy, cultural critique, science studies, and more! And he's doing it on public television, disregarding limiting academic categories and basically exploring his own, ongoing, changing, inquisitive process through a creative medium.

Watching his most recent, All Watched Over By Machines of Loving Grace, my first thought was, "holy shit, you would never see this on TV in the US!" It's just so goddamn good.

All Watched Over... is recommended viewing. It manages to succinctly describe how scientific and philosophic ideas combine and are taken up by those in power, while showing many involved as fragile and often slightly deranged real humans. And it includes some bizarro footage of my favorite straw woman for hating on the cult of individualism, Ayn Rand, losing her shit over a love triangle that may or may not involve Alan Greenspan.

It's a culmination of many themes he explores in previous films, and in this he does the best job (compared to earlier films) of balancing his viewpoint with creative juxtapositions open to many interpretations. This is some fresh, juicy mind food. Healthy like a fruit or vegetable, to give your brain a detox.

Michael and I were hooked on Curtis after this, and have since explored his oeuvre (that word always makes me chuckle inside). His wikipedia page has a helpful filmography with synopses. Here's what I know so far:

- The Century of the Self is mostly about the rise of consumerism. Pretty much a refresher course for anyone who already has their liberal arts degree. The main revelation for me was the deep exploration of Freud's nephew who basically dominated in all areas of US power behind the scenes during the 20th century and invented "PR" after, according to him, the Germans made "propaganda" a bad word. Then he used his PR talent to make his uncle Freud famous in the US. We haven't got past part one, after which we switched to:

- The Trap: What Happened to Our Dream of Freedom? We just began watching this series, and so far shit runs deep. The title of part one is "Fuck You, Buddy." Taking on the modern concept of freedom is awesome. Yet this is where I have to pause. Machines remains my favorite, but this is starting to feel like a slog through various tangents, all interesting, but perhaps a bit overbearing. At this point I remain committed to watching these, but have reached a British accent narrator overload and need a break.

It was just about this time when internet serendipity pointed me toward this music video. Which is a sexier, tongue in cheek critique of the very same ideas at the core of The Trap. I feel like the internet just took me from deep backstory to resulting phenomena. Also notable: this song's Kate Bush sample.

These videos raise so many questions. Not sure if that statement includes the corny pop video directly above, you decide. I highly recommend them as starting points for further reflection, and maybe even discussion among humans.

Here, I'll go first: Overall I'm on board with the general direction of what we might call the developing Curtis thesis. These are deeply researched, brilliantly executed intellectual explorations of topics and themes at the heart of Western culture. Curtis also rules for leaving academia and delivering some tough thought morsels to a much wider audience. But, as many Western white men speaking primarily to their own audience (ie those whose brains were molded in the Western educational system, so, a very large and diverse demographic including myself and everyone I know), Curtis seems pretty committed to the notion of a human agency** as the sole history-making force (an idea I'm presently working against). And in focusing overtly on his peer group as world-makers, he might possibly be reinforcing the view of Powerful White Men as such, which gets a bit tiring after a while. I worry that overdetermining the powerful reach of "the powerful" scares, immobilizes, or angers, and is part of the self-reflexive loop of apathy and irony that is pretty played out among my generation of privileged ex-suburban adult-kids.

If you watch any of the above, I would love to know what you think. If you are already well-versed in Curtis filmography, do you suggest any of the others in particular?

---------------

**Teacher's Note: Wikipedia is nice for a cursory intro and snapshot definition. But any 'pedia is kind of a suspect delivery system in terms of how we know things. The reading of original texts, preferably with pen in hand, remains necessary for actual expansion of knowledge. Sorry for the bad news, but summaries by white men online remain a poor substitute for eduction.

Peachy-beige and Mauve

2011-07-05T08:00:00.137-07:00

This is the second installment in the series "My Summer Look: Minimal Hippie." Boring-ass part one happened yesterday while you were drinking Budweiser and playing volleyball. (Although, really, the first instance of the look was publicized a while back, brought to you without the stupid introduction. (It also appears that this is the summer of monochrome.))

On Saturday, Michael and I walked to Golden Gate Park. I didn't feel quite so much like a tool requesting photos of my outfit since the place was swarming with tourists. This was taken after we sat on the steps watching countless DSLR-wielding visitors stop to pose with a nearby bonsai tree on a pedestal.

These fools in blue were on their way to the little tree statuette to get their vacation pose on. I think they add some nice contrast to this shot.

LOL, literally.

Looking back, this outfit seems to be about bringing together lovely colors with hideous names. I bought these vintage mauve gaucho pants in Berkeley last weekend. The peachy-beige silk top is from a vintage shop in St. Paul, MN. See by Chloe plastic sandals also used, also from Minnesota.

The look and feel of a skirt, only... pants.

Other pant option...

Fun with shadows...

*****

And just because the gentleman behind the camera doesn't want to be seen, doesn't mean the world shouldn't know about these kicks. Vintage "Vanosaurs" complete any casual look.

*****

FYI MOMENT:
"In 1856, while trying to synthesize artificial quinine, 18-year-old chemistry student William Perkin instead produced a murky residue. Fifty years later, he described the event: he "was about to throw a certain residue away when I thought it might be interesting. The solution of it resulted in a strangely beautiful color." Perkin had stumbled across the world's first aniline dye, a color that became known as mauve" (emphasis mine).

-From the hyperbolically titled Mauve: How One Man Invented a Color that Changed the World, a top ranking book from the category "Should Have Just Been a Wikipedia Page."

Take this with a grain of salt**

2011-07-04T11:41:00.001-07:00

I've been dreaming up a new summer look since early springtime, and I've finally started rolling it out as the temperatures rise. And yes, as in years past, I've named it. It's called MINIMAL HIPPIE.

Please, let me explain.

("like a moth to a flame, burned by the fire...")

Minimal Hippie is a natural progression. It incorporates much of what I already own. I finally have a number of quality items that I love and want to wear repeatedly, and I'm finding new combinations to work out this look. It's not a trend I sought out via new purchases, but what has started to coalesce in terms of my "personal style," (a phrase I'm pretty sure was invented by our capitalist overlords to keep us spending our way to fulfillment).

On the progression of Minimal Hippie...

Me, a hippie? Could it be? Did it start with this hair? I have been consciously working toward 70s Yoko hair, which I google regularly and in a few more blunt cuts should achieve. Did this start in middle school when I bought that paisley maxi skirt, hemp necklace, leather sandals, and incense, which lasted for like one season? Did it begin last summer when I bought Birkenstocks? Perhaps its origins lies in all of these urges, and more, ~~like my secret love for the earthy scents wafting through overpriced co-op grocery stores.~~

Wanting to be "minimalist"/failing: By my 20s, having disavowed all of the things listed above, I embrace the grayscale, tight black pants, and played up my also longstanding love of 80s and 90s minimalist designers. But I could never really pull off the chic, polished, controlled looks. I repressed my hippie urges, but I think they were always there, foiling my attempts at cool.

Of course I think the former is way more embarrassing than the latter. I've also assumed the two mutually exclusive. But they are not! They are the perfect marriage... of things I want to wear. I like minimalism for reasons that betray it's "pure" meanings. I like plain, solid blocks of color and dislike most jewelry. But I also like things that billow in the wind, sandals, and an excuse to have unkempt hair.

("...my love is blind, can't you see my desire?")

Mostly, though, I just like the juxtaposition of these two loaded terms. They are both so silly! Everything I just explained above is my weird thought process, but the outfits I will share with you in the coming days could be described in so many different ways that have nothing to do with these dumb words. Or I could just not describe things at all and just be. That would be much more cool and mysterious.

But this would not be a blog it I weren't a chronic over-explainer and over-sharer.

Pleats, Thank You

**Interesting! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grain_of_salt

Adjusting My Attitude

2011-06-24T20:19:00.000-07:00

After moving for literally a month, I am just now starting to slow down and take in all the changes. We now have a new place, a new bed, and a new table. And that is all in terms of furniture at this point. Still working on some chairs to go around said table.

It has been beautiful and perfect in San Francisco every single day. I feel at home in this city already. It's nice to make a positive life change. I confess, I have not fully appreciated all this beauty around me because moving for an entire month makes me cranky, apparently. That all changes starting now. Now that I do not have to do any further heavy lifting or dragging of luggage up and down hills.

But I need to stop treating this space like a diary! You dear readers probably do not care much for my boring moving saga. Let's talk about what to wear in a new city, shall we?

The most amazing thing about San Francisco is you can dress like it's any season, any time. Today, I saw a dude in a puffer/parka with a fur-lined hood, apparently just for the sake of the look. I had forgotten about this strange, silly facet of California living. I was also happy to wear an outfit I never could have imagined in places like Minneapolis or San Diego: a long sleeve button-up shirt, a sweater, and super lightweight bermuda shorts. This would just mean death by overheating in previous locations. Not here in magical Northern California, though. It's 65 and sunny, which means anything from a North Face coat to a crop top and cut-offs is A-OK.

I was pretty into my look. It was intended to reflect my appreciation of recent Proenza without being too literal. Michael said it looked 80s so-cal, so I guess mission accomplished? In any case, Birkenstocks and printed bermuda shorts happened and I felt just fine.

The shorts are vintage Marimekko that I found for $5 at a St. Paul thrift store before leaving the midwest. Oh how I miss those deals already...

Another very important thing that happened is that I bought new sunglasses here in San Francisco. How could I forget that good sunglasses are an absolute necessity on the coast? A necessary accessory, if you will. (Sorry.)

I found these vintage Ray-Bans at my new neighborhood vintage store, Ver Unica.

I like that these are not the standard Wayfarer, which doesn't look so great on me. These frames have an almost-cat eye effect and are more contoured. The frame is called the "Laramie," and they are in amazing condition and fit perfectly. I have found that so many of my sunglasses end up hurting my ears or falling off my face. Ray-Ban knows what's up with making sunglasses that work, so I'm happy to finally own a pair.

B&L = Bausch & Lomb, makers of Ray-Ban in US until the late 90s

With these new sunglasses and my breezy mom shorts, I feel I am on my way to returning to the ways of California living. The peculiarities of dressing for SF are still revealing themselves to me, and I have a bit of wardrobe adjusting to do. It should all be pretty exciting. I'll keep you posted.

Wearables

2011-06-17T11:02:00.000-07:00

Upon a quick morning perusal o' the Resort 2012, I mostly felt like I should be doing other things on this gorgeous day in a new place. Anyhow, I found some outfits that would be perfect for me to wear to my new life.

Stella McCartney

and Calvin Klein

In a perfect world I would just walk around looking like this most of the time. I've grown into regular wearing of blazers and jackets in the last few years and have a couple that are pret-ty, pret-ty, pretty good. What I do not have: the perfect pair of slim trousers. The hunt begins.

Goodbye Minneapolis, Hello San Francisco!

2011-06-14T22:42:00.001-07:00

We are now relocated and loving it. But there is plenty that I will truly miss about the Twin Cities. Before I left town, the lovely Ellen of The Minneapoline asked me to do a shoot in my apartment for a new feature on her blog. Check it out here!

For the last three days, I've been loving this view of the Lower Haight from a friend's place where we are temporarily located.

I'm pretty in love with their pitcher plant.

Can't wait to share more once we are more permanently settled!

Know Your Fabrics

2011-06-08T09:15:00.000-07:00

This short video about linen is like a sophisticated Mister Rogers crayon factory visit. OK, maybe that is not the best tag line. This video is very enjoyable if you like to know about how things are made and where things come from.

So many beautiful shots. But I wish there was less PR talk and more explanation of the terms. I totally loved this, a lot. But toward the end I was getting JennaMaroneyIsTheNewFaceOfWool-vibes.

The other men in my life

2011-05-29T10:09:00.000-07:00

Recently Mike left town for a few days, and I was home alone. Well, not entirely alone because these other two men were with me in the house. I find them so striking and stylish. But they can't cook me breakfast.

We borrowed this Stravinsky record from our dear friend Rachel. For months I would look at this man and sort of swoon. I mean, those shades. Plus a big fur collar and a hat? So good. Despite those droopy jowls, I can see why Chanel needed to get a piece.

Then there is Man Ray who lives in our bathroom inside a box mounted onto the wall.

We put up the boxes for more shelving. I thought I was so clever to put a half-shaved Man in with my man's shaving supplies.

I guess I have a thing for men with good style and intense faces.

Greener on the Other Side

2011-05-25T21:44:00.002-07:00

During winter I bought my first piece of Issey Miyake, this forest green velvet skirt with turquoise backing and lots of wrinkly details:

During winter I also spent a lot of time staring at this plant in my kitchen, thinking about wearing the combination of dark bluish green with yellow-green.

I've had this Zero Maria Cornejo tank top for a while, yet had not figured out how to wear it. Inspired by my succulent I dreamed of this outfit:

Speaking of succulents, we are moving to the other side, where they really are always greener. I'll miss going out to Tin Fish on Lake Calhoun in the spring, and seeing these vibrant budding leaves on the big trees. But this green is far too temporary for me. In less cryptic terms, we are moving back to California, this time to San Francisco. And here is another outfit with this skirt, taken before eating delicious foods.

I call this silhouette the "reverse hourglass," and I'm A-OK with it.

*Appendix*

Boxy ribbed cashmere tank top, goes with everything.

Ideal long skirt hem length for my lifestyle + soft, cozy, old loafers

For Keeps

2011-05-19T11:12:00.000-07:00

Just a quick post to share a few things:

1) These are my first pair of colorful denim, a recent purchase from the Gap.
2) This outfit has been a standard for me this spring. // This is how I dressed to do semi-professional life tasks at the University or to attend various meetings.
3) My ClareVivier bag (a gift, detailed here) is aging beautifully and remains the perfect size/shape/strap configuration for most of my days. I've used it regularly for a little over a year now.

I also have to thank Michael for this shirt. It is such an ideal fabric and I wear it constantly.

Right now is a time of Major Life Changes, which is also a time for reflection. Without getting too personal, I can say that in this outfit I see things coming together. I had very few possessions 3 years ago - some of you will recall that everything we owned came with us to MN via a tiny Volkswagen hatchback. These things that I chose to bring into my life in Minnesota will remain and age with me, and will work nicely with the new. I have things that will ease the transition into a new phase, but certainly do not have all the necessities for the unknowns yet to come. My confidence and assured sense that all will remain OK has a lot to do with the strong foundations I've established for myself in the past 3 years, when I went from just barely having the essentials, to knowing the nature of the space I want to carve out for myself in this difficult physical, material, living world.

I appreciate all of you -- commenters and non-vocal viewers -- who read along and appreciate hearing about my process of living. Well, at least the tiny lil parts I share through talking about clothes.

Upgrade U, Part 2

2011-05-18T11:35:00.001-07:00

Adding to yesterday's post about updating the shoes, I also got these new (used, via etsy) beauties. A flat summer sandal is pretty much an essential. I love the white straps so much. Not a gladiator, not really delicate or femme, and just maybe, sorta Ann D, no? In any case, they are ready for heavy use.

Before buying these a couple weeks ago I owned only one pair of truly flat, basic, practical leather summer sandals. This is a shoe genre that I know I will always need. Those plastic jellies, wedges, platforms (no matter how flat or thin), and especially heeled sandals will never compare to their usefulness and versatility.

These have been the most perfect, go-to, for long hot days, going swimming, going to the park, BBQ, walking everywhere, getting wet, muddy, dirty, gravel in my toes, summer shoes. I have had them since HIGH SCHOOL. And have worn them until the straps stretched out and things like this are happening, again.

Three years ago, I salvaged them by having the soles glued back on at a shoe repair shop. Now I believe they are reaching their end, since the straps are stretched and water damaged and are starting to constantly slip off my foot when I walk. I mean, they are looking pretty busted at this point.

It's all good because i bought them for fifty cents at my first ever "job" -- court-ordered community service at a church-run thrift store because I was bad. I believe that was... *doing the math*... 9-10 years ago now?? Mental HOLY SHIT moment just commenced.

Here is a picture of how I dressed IRL yesterday with the new shoes!

w/ Fifth Ave Shoe Repair dress, ClareVivier bag, vintage belt.

Upgrade U

2011-05-17T12:17:00.000-07:00

Springtime has become my favorite time for wardrobe updating (and also for blogging). After winter, I see clearly what is working as a long term staple and what needs to be upgraded, thrown out, or replaced. (Also, my apartment gets enough light for decent photos.)

I recently did some upgrading on my shoe lineup. While these aren't really "spring" shoes necessarily, the situation with these oxfords was getting out of hand.

THE OLD

I've had these for only about a year. I bought them used on etsy, so I didn't have the clearest sense of the quality of the materials or their overall condition. I wore them regularly for the past year letting them get pretty beat up, and now there is this.

On my wardrobe "to-do" list, which includes things like repairing that gold watch so that it actually keeps time, was to either have these resoled or to replace them. I was on the fence about resoling because they are not that nice of a shoe to begin with.

THE NEW

The solution was immediately clear to me when I came across these Calvin Klien Collection (that's right, the collection - not jeans, nor cK) slip-ons on the Outnet for 75% off, with only one left, in my size. I trust in serendipity to guide me way too often in life.

When the box came I immediately went into regret-for-spending-any-money-at-all-while-mostly-broke-guilt mode. I decided to wear them out, eliminating the ability to return. That morning I was complemented on them by a sweet young woman. And while I don't live for approval from the general public, sweet compliments always help assuage buyers guilt.

I think I made a good decision.

Crazypants

2011-05-15T21:04:00.000-07:00

Inspired by Proenza, this summer I'm all about exploring prints and knee length (not skintight) shorts. (Reference here.)

During our spring that never was (meaning: it stayed fucking cold here till nowish minus that one 80+ degree day with humidity and golf ball sized hail and tornado sirens) I had time to get all the necessities for a summer of weirdness.

So, these are my new crazy pants. Bought em on the etsy.

I will be wearing them this week in perfectly beautiful weather. I also found my linen shirt w/ vent. I'm already so happy I bought this shirt last summer. I can see it working with everything during this summer, too.

As you can see above I gave up on the stupid tripod and put the camera in the window. Sometimes this shit really does feel idiotic. I mean the self-portraiture, not the pants. Those clearly rule.

The More You Know: Tokio Kumagai

2011-05-09T19:24:00.004-07:00

One of my favorite things about the internet is learning more history of fashion tidbits. Today I was searching for some images of Anne Marie Beretta designs, which led me to a books.google.com page for Fashion: The Collection of the Kyoto Costume Institute: A History from the 18th to the 20th Century. This book proved to be a fantastic scroll. Plenty o' images.

This page in particular caught my eye. I went on to learn that Tokio Kumagai lived from 1948-1987, attended the Bunka Fashion College (alumni including Kenzo Takada, Yohji Yamamoto and Tsumori Chisato), then worked in Paris for Castlebajac and in Italy for Cerruti before opening his shoe boutique in 1980.

His 1984 "Shoes to Eat" collection seems to be among the most internet archived. In addition to the beans and rice and sundae shoes above, he made meat shoes.

He also created shoes with faces, legs, race cars, geese, and mice.

And while the shoes that look like things that are not shoes are a nice lil piece of fashion history, Kumagai also made timeless and fully wearable t-straps, oxfords, and slip on flats in basic colors. The best catalog of his work is on this page, Hommage à Tokio Kumagai, which includes some clothing and vintage editorials as well as many more shoes.

Aside from reinforcing my belief that neither Gaga nor Marc Jacobs have ever had an original idea (but maybe no one does anymore, so it's fine), tonight's internet fashion history moment has given me another Japanese fashion designer to admire and add to my searches on etsy and ebay. Turns out these were once available on the former:

Which bring me to a different topic: Would you buy a used shoe this stretched out and dirty? I'm on the hypothetical fence.

Foraging for Luxury

2011-05-03T21:12:00.000-07:00

This dress is one of my favorite shapes: round on top. Please pardon my face, I'm very congested right now.

I'm mostly interested wearing it in a casual minimal-hippie style, which is my vibe for spring. More on that later. (It all started with these Birkenstocks.) But it can be dressed up with a chic pair of 9 West block heels and I'm ready for a fancy night out to dinner and a lot of walking, because with this wide of a foot bed, I don't have to worry about pinched toes at all.

From creepy to classy!

The neckline is high in the front but drapes down slightly across the back to reveal upper shoulder blade. And yes, the one where I'm coughing was the best shot. I'm currently in that phase of sickness where mouth breathing is the only option.

Pockets!

Unintentional Versatility?

^^ There is a hidden zipper along the side hem for putting on and taking off.
However, a zipper is always an opportunity. In this case it means I also have a voluminous tee.

**********

As I was telling you, this item is a nice one. I'm pretty into owning it. I found it secondhand and seeing the label made my heart skip a beat. But I would have bought it regardless of tag based on the cut, feel of the fabric, and overall quality. I have a process when rummaging for nice things, which I thought I might share.

Thrift, consignment, and resale shops can be overwhelming, like a task. You need to go in with a plan. I love this dress for the cut, but you can't see that on a rack stuffed with secondhand garments. And a butterscotch sleeve on a thin hanger might not catch your eye, but this fabric feels incredible.

Tip 1 = Shop with your hands not your eyes. Fondle your way down the rack touching everything, pausing when you feel luxury or high quality fabrics. Get to know the difference. This will instantly cut down on how long it takes you to get through a round of thrifting and increase the odds you don't skip nice things.

After you have paused over a nice-feeling item, pull it out and even without a label you can know how well it's made by the stitching.

Here is the neck opening. This flap that lines the inside is nicely finished and the overlock part is tucked under, out of sight.

Tip 2 = Turn (or imagine) the garment inside out. Nice things look as finished on the inside as they do on the outside.

The sleeves look like they've been hemmed an inch (I kinda think they originally came this way), but a piece had come undone and was hanging down. I've never done an invisible hem before, but I liked the shorter sleeve length better than letting it out. So I copied what remained of the hem, and as a non-sewer I'm pretty proud of myself.

When I got inside the sleeve I was impressed by the finishing. The seam on the right side of the picture is the one that runs under the armpit and down the side of the dress. The stitching is completely finished on the inside with no overlock stitch showing.

I learned these things buying secondhand clothing at my old job, where I was trained by my husband, who also sometimes used to blog here. (Illicit workplace romance!) We had to read this book, Secondhand Chic, as a work assignment. The book looks cheesy at first glance but it's filled with good information. These lessons stayed with me and I still think of them whenever I go thrifting.

Is this helpful or shit everyone else already knows? I'm sorry, I've been a teacher this year and it may be affecting my brain.

Redemption Coat

2011-04-16T15:26:00.002-07:00

Following on the heels of yesterday's shamepost, I bring you this item of clothing that I am truly excited about owning.

All 4 of those cuff buttons are functional. It's slightly longer in the back, but is all around dress length.

It's from Club Monaco (where I discovered student ID gets you 20% off everything). I felt it was an item I should acquire for several very good reasons that I'll spare you. This was a shopping moment unlike the one described in yesterday's post. Most of the time, it is my hope that now, at age 26, I'm developing enough sense to know that I will wear something like this coat for years because it suits my adult body and my ideas about dressing it. (Other times, I don't rely on logic.)

A perfect day for going headless.

Even though I'm pretty into the idea of it ever becoming summer again, a few more weeks of chilly gray weather don't bother me so much since I can wear this coat a little bit before fall.

I also found a new way to tie up this Fifth Ave. Shoe Repair dress to make it into a shirt.

It's weirdly exhilarating to buy yourself a nice new thing. Especially when you are completing major life tasks and need a reward. I don't endorse the concept of "retail therapy." I do, however, believe in self-present-giving. The difference is that in the former, one spends hundreds at Urban Outiftters in a depressive attempt at self-satisfaction. In the latter, one selects a singular special thing and imagines that it's a gift or reward for exhausting your talents in a way that is not in itself rewarding enough... A difference that is not black and white, but shades of neurotic gray.

Weird Shit I Own: Stretch Nylon Sherbert Space Dye Double Zip Cardi

2011-04-15T10:39:00.000-07:00

Here's a lil secondhand number I saw on the rack and just couldn't pass up. It's my stretchy double zip sherbert colored space dye cardigan, and it's actually a rayon/nylon blend. Cool! Right?

When some people talk about an "impulse buy" they are referring to a luxurious and chic item bought on a whim. For me, it's something like this. Something that I think is post-trend, even as I tell myself it's Balenciaga-esque.

At the time of purchase, it was deep into winter. Everything was gray and dead. Ice was everywhere. Blistering cold winds and snow were a constant. I went shopping alone. These colors seemed so bright, so happy. I reached out and touched the stretchy and smooth fabric. Holding it in my hand I thought, this is it, this is my direction. Was I delirious or genius? I still can't tell. What I am telling you is that I now own this, and I'm not (entirely) ashamed of that fact.

You heard about these sandals before.

I haven't worn it out yet, but maybe I will... If only I could just layer it right! Jk. Honestly, I like this simple lil outfit! It is so wrong. I can't think of any reason it's valid. But I like it. I like wearing this sporty spice fabric. It feels like a lightweight wetsuit or something. I'm a sucker for the colors and the techno knit. Something about the dark seams works? I also find the double zip hilarious and awesome.

...in case you need to open it from the bottom...

These are drop crotch pants I was forced to hem this short because the calf part was impossibly tight (probably why they were on the $5 rack at H&M...). I tried them on. They fit at the store. But when you sit, your pant should be able to ascend the leg without ripping. Now they are drop crotch capris, which is almost as sexy as the top.

The only thing I can think of that I don't like about this sweater is the way the zipper folds into fat ripples when I sit. Oh, and that society will shun me for wearing it.

(I'll be back ASAP to try to salvage what little credibility I maybe once held in this illusionistic space.)

Psychic Brightness

2011-04-09T13:15:00.000-07:00

One Floor Up More Highly by Katharina Grosse

at MASS MoCA thru 10.31.2011

I wish I could take a nice long east coast trip and visit this installation. I'm very much drawn to its painted soil landscape with stark white wire-cut styrofoam. I'm also really into Grosse's statement on her work. So smart, so applicable to a lot more than painting...

I don’t think that a painting is a coherent, closed system that only takes place within its borders. And rather than choosing between painting being a window and painting being flat, I view everything as a window: You’re a window, the window is a window, the car is a window. For me, everything is an illusionistic surface, and painting is a mode of thought––a way to link these illusionistic elements together. That linking process constantly changes. I don’t create a set of rules through which the thinking has to happen. Neither a predetermined outcome nor the rules to realize it exist.

- Katharina Grosse via Artforum

Spring At Last

2011-04-07T17:04:00.000-07:00

I admit that I remain annoyingly bad at photography and also my feet look like fetuses. But fo real, if you can't get behind me on these shoes, well, I guess I don't really care at all because I LOVE THEM. We can totally still be friends, even if you give them a funny look. They're just shoes, they won't even know.

THE HEELS: so blocky!

THE STRAPS: are velcro!

THE SOLE: rubbery with a sliver of platform.

THE TOE: boxy n' angular.

Now I'll stop yelling at you about things you can also see for yourself.

The straps are, surprisingly, real leather. Just that 90's plastic looking kind that isn't quite patent (imo) but reflects light nonetheless.

Vintage 9 West comes through for me again. This is my new summer footwear that you can expect to see paired with all future outfits.

To sleeve or not to sleeve?

2011-04-03T16:15:00.000-07:00

One year ago I posted about the incredible fall 2010 Dries Van Noten collection. I included this image:

Last fall, I looked for a cheap but nice trench at thrift stores, planning to hack off the sleeves as seen above, right. I never found the ideal candidate. Turns out many trench coats do not have a straight vertical shoulder/armhole seam. Then winter happened and I stopped caring. But it's spring now. And I still have the look on my mind.

Finally coming out of a long winter is a time to reevaluate the closets. And in the coat closet I realized I've had the perfect trench for altering since 2009. It just didn't occur to me. I showed it to you once, but honestly, I never wore it out.

Until last night. I wore it out, and I suddenly wasn't so sure about the sleeve removal plans. It would be super easy to just cut them off, because they are attached farther back at that seam a few inches closer into my body than the outer shoulder. That little bit between the thin seam and the shoulder's edge is a finished overhang, and the sleeve could easily be taken off with no rough edge showing and no need to even hem it.

As much as I think the sleeveless trench is super cool looking, I've always had a serious aversion to vests and feel like this could be a problem. Without the sleeves I think I would also need to shorten the length. I don't know if I can go for it! Should I? Should I even be wearing this coat? I felt pretty good walking around with it blowing in the wind and whatnot (and feeling like some sort of weirdo on a Saturday night in this while randomly amongst the downtown clubbing crowd in their hoof shoes and glitterfaces). But what about these sleeves, for real? It's that end-of-winter/early-spring "who am I?" moment. You know what I'm talking about.

Please ignore my left hand. This was the best I could do w/ limited lighting and time. ^^

Also, yes. I wore the same tights twice in one week. With: white cotton tank dress, sheer American Vintage collared dress, Cheap Monday cropped sweater.

Coat dilemma aside, one thing I'm certain about in my life are these sandals. No one likes them; that much is clear to me. I showed you how they give me an awesomely fat calf both here, last summer, and again here, the summer before that one. They're definitely coming back for a third spring of slimy greens. I hope you're as excited about that as I am.

PRPL

2011-03-29T17:57:00.001-07:00

Revisiting an old favorite color, purple, today...

The Tsumori Chisato tights (more photos of/deets on them here) are actually more of a slate/gray, but combined with human legs, this lavender tunic, and my new purplish/mauve lip gloss to me they take on a purple hue.

Details: I found this Alexander Wang sweater at a consignment store for $50. I bought it because it was my birthday and that's what u do.

Today had to be the first day of spring here, right? I mean, I still had to walk on ICE a couple times, but spring can't tease me again like last week... when it was 50 degrees, all the snow melted, and then a full on blizzard happened again. My heart can't take any more. I insist that it steady get warmer from today on.

Also, clean it up, Minnesota. This is just unacceptable:

---------------------------------------------------------------

One more thing b4 u go! You wanted to hear more about my new lipgloss, right? That makes 2 tubes of non-Burt's Bees lip products I own. The other being the coral Sephora lipstick my homegirl Carissa helped me learn how to buy. Well, last week I used all her advice on my own! Went to Sephora, rubbed various sticks of shit on my hands, carried the best samples to the mirror and top-pumping alcohol bottles, wiped em off, and applied. 5 tries and I left with this.

My lips are naturally kind of purple and brownish and I wanted to accentuate that with a mauve/purple shade. I don't know how you feel about it but IMO I can wear just this and no other makeup, and it's all good. I have nothing on my face in these photos but the gloss, because I heard, that girls, in college, they wear less makeup on their faces.

Assassin Chic

2011-03-27T09:05:00.000-07:00

Pretty girl assassin movies = one of my favorite childhood genres. Watching Bridget Fonda in Point of No Return repeatedly on HBO in 3rd grade was how I learned about Nina Simone. No lie, my parents weren't of refined taste.

Anyhow I was reminded to finally do this post after my girlfriend Ann noted the Rodarte exhibition at MOCA in Los Angeles. (I hope all of you in the vicinity will go. I wish to, but it's unknown when I'll return again to the region.) Ann included photos of the Black Swan costumes, which brings me to today's topic: Natalie Portman and how I can't deal with anything she's said or done since The Professional. I'll spare you that hater rant, but just know that I have not seen the ballet movie and have no plans to ever do so.

Mathilda was most certainly one of my childhood heroines tho. Her looks were the bomb. I had a velvet choker just like hers, little charm and everything. And also, you can wear this whole look head to toe again this summer and be the coolest. Because it's like, from the 90s, duh. :/

But no really, don't wear that shit. Well, maybe one of these knit hats. What I reeeeally want to indicate is that more men could take some style notes from Léon. I mean.

His silhouettes were just incredible. When checking your coat fits, ask yourself, can I conceal many guns and also a high powered rifle under this? But, please don't actually carry guns. That's really not cool (so Tea Party). Just use your imagination, like you've been doing when picking out hunting jackets for that hunting trip you'll never take because you don't hunt. (Or just revisit Yohji Yamamoto collections on style.com and admit to liking fashion.) Pair your big coat with slouchy fit pants, and roll em up to reveal your white socks. And then keep a simple white t-shirt or thermal on up top. Forget the plaid button up and the selvage tie, I'm sick of seeing it. It's not authentic anymore because everyone knows about it now. You need some new real man shit to look like a real man who does really manly things like kill people. You need some whites like dad used to have. The kind that need hot water and bleach. Try to work in a harness without looking contrived, if at all possible. And most importantly invest in circular shades. Top it off with a tiny hat and you are all set. Oh and please take good care of your house plants. All these things will make you sexy to neighboring 12 year old girls, and me.

Is life always this hard, or is it just when you're a kid?

Old people can be so sweet.

2011-03-21T11:34:00.003-07:00

One of my reasons for blogging is to endlessly quote Clueless. You would think it might get old, but it just doesn't. I also have a serious problem with titles and being absolutely terrible at coming up with them.

Moving on. I came across these images and was immediately struck by the style. To me, they evoke street style photography, personal style blogs, Advanced Style, and a number of current trends all at once. And yet they are quite clearly much more than those things (my thinking just shows that I've spent too much time in an internet bubble). I was actually surprised that the writer at the blog where I first saw these, We Find Wildness, said they found the images "difficult at first."

These are all photos by Katy Grannan, and were shot in Los Angeles or San Francisco.

The harsh lighting against an anonymous wall reminds me of Brook&Lyn outfit posts.The red lips, long black sheer dress, and big ring and fur all stuck me as so "blogger." But the obscured face means I can't see what this woman really looks like, just the clothing through which she presents herself to the camera (to the world?).

Bright color blocking. So Jil Sander.

Big armhole tank + sideboob. Beard with colored tips (next level).

This one is my favorite. She's very Prada/Miu Miu with the printed button-up, allover white, and that swan bag...

I'm sure none of these were considered "street style" photography, but the lines are very much blurred for me because these people all have so much style. Don't try to tell me orange beard wasn't going for a "look." If these are supposed to be ordinary or overlooked people, or people who fall outside the mainstream norms seen in the "media," I wonder what that media means and to what extent style blogs are part of it.

There are elements of each of these people's appearance that set them apart from the polished, wealthy ladies and gents on Advanced Style. (Is that what makes this art? What makes them "authentic" subjects?) But to me these are just people who still work it, regardless of their social status. As someone who will never ascend to Iris Apfel heights and have my clothing shown at the MET, I often wonder what I, and this generation of lookbook.nu kids, will look like in old age.

These people (all people) haves stories. I look at their pictures and can't help but imagine what those stories are. So often I see an image of a person with "style" and the story I imagine sort of depresses me. But with these images I'm full of interest. I imagine the lady in fuchsia drawing on her mole, doing her eyeliner, and I want to know more about her. It might sound, like, really fucking corny, but I feel like her face holds so many of the mysteries and secrets of life that I don't ever want to stop thinking about.

Moonbeams

2011-03-18T12:39:00.001-07:00

This is an important astrological PSA. Tomorrow, the moon will be at its closest point to the earth, AND, it will be a full moon. This means tomorrows night will be insanely beautiful with an extra big, bright moon. Pause and look up around the beginning of nightfall and behold.

And now, a literal clothing connection. I first noticed this collection on geometricsleep, and then was reminded of it today on Style Bubble.

Jeremy Laing FW 2011

Jeremy Laing is a self-taught designer based in Toronto who sharpened his skills as an apprentice to Alexander McQueen. I'm intrigued by his work. I would love to save enough money to have either the last dress, above, or the black jacket/tunic above that. Each piece is immensely wearable and strange. This grunge hair and makeup might be getting a little overplayed, and other looks from Laing's collection too closely aligned with specific Alexander Wang or Acne looks. But so goes any trend.

The geometry of the cuts -- circles and varying angles that recall grade school work with the protractor -- combines perfectly with the draping in each of these looks. The long moon print gown is stunning. Ditto the circle-cut knit dress. Styling and a few nods to current trends aside, Laing's garments transcend trendiness because of their singularity, anonymity, and wearability. Now, which piece shall I attempt to save for and hunt down in the next season? (Dreaming.)

Daily Views

2011-03-15T19:59:00.001-07:00

hats

w/ mink jawbone, basis for engagement necklace

pine cones collected on a winter walk, sand from a friend's Twilight research trip to Forks, WA

lamp/necklace holder

tea, coffee, and chili peppers

shameless

clothes in an ikea bookshelf

there are two of us

I didn't kill this one!

I hate to admit that this white bulk is still there. But disappearing fast.

----------

This little internet space started out as a chronicle of us trying to figure out how to aesthetically care for both ourselves and a new home. Its no mystery that it's a small home. Our very first place together in CA was even smaller, a studio comprised of a kitchen, bathroom, and bedroom. We are happy in small spaces, not taking up more resources than we need. A big home would stress me out because when I clean, I get meticulous.

Moving into this one bedroom apartment, I tried to decorate it like I thought a normal person would. I even shared it online (eek). We got tired of that arrangement. I desperately needed a separate work space. My office was behind that couch, we barely used the bedroom which remained drab, and everything just felt wrong. It was the worst during the winter.

So last summer I instigated "The Big Switch." (You can see the results here, and in, um, all indoor shots since last summer.) We sold most of that earlier stuff on craigslist and turned the living room into a big bedroom and the bedroom into a big office. So we're back to no living room, but all my work bullshit is contained. I also shared that, ugh. I now dream of a two-bedroom. One room for an office, one for sleeping, and one for having company gather. Pretty basic.

Since we got rid of unnecessary furniture the space is more relaxing and open. It's these little views that make me happy. I stare at these things every day without feeling tired of them. I'm home constantly, and this was the least painful winter of them all because I enjoyed my space. It's not perfect, but I'm figuring this shit out as I go.

Late Winter Casual(ty?)

2011-03-15T07:26:00.046-07:00

I like that the British say "jumper" rather than "sweater." I learned this difference from blogging. I wish we said jumper, instead of a word with the root "sweat."

I wish the color was on my body, not on the wall. I'm working on it. This jumper was on heavy rotation this winter (can I say jumper?). As much as I'm dying to feel the sun on my skin, it's also a little terrifying to think about giving up its precious comforts.

Nothing says style like doubling up on long, slumpy garments that make one look bigger. Well, this top and skirt are 100% SILK, for what it's worth.

Robert Clergerie boots = one of my best acquisitions from back in '09 when I knew nothing about the brand. Worn constantly during winter whenever the furry Docs were not necessary.

...here, in my men's peacoat (actually Mike's main winter coat that I got to borrow) and unshapely knit, I could eat a feast of food and not worry at all, just go straight home and nap. Which is exactly what we did right after these photos. It was an intense food coma in which we didn't speak the entire way home.

But really, I want to pack away this jumper, see all this fucking snow disappear, and eat salad and fruit every day while sweating not because of wool but because of heat and humidity. Snow, your time has come. Please go away.

Sitting on the dock of the bay

2011-03-13T07:53:00.037-07:00

Until I can head for the 'Frisco bay, I'll mostly just be wasting time. In this case the "dock" is at the bottom of my mac screen. The "bay"... I don't know, igoogle? If you, too, need to waste this time in your life away, why not take my suggestions on how? I'm becoming an expert.

Whatever, I've always wanted to make one of these link-filed posts. It's the weekend.

1. THE 90s YOU GUYS. Are we sure this was the most glorious of times? Durga Chew-Bose with the ultimate YM/Seventeen cover compilations.

2. Two beautiful videos from two beautiful women. Each breaks my heart every time. And Lykke's shirt rules. It reminds me of that Stella McCartney jacket.

3. Deep thoughts with another dear blogger! Stephanie from One Sleepless Night continues to ask interesting and important questions about the connections between cross-dressing, camp, androgyny, and the fashion world. This time, via Paris is Burning. Her blog is recommended reading in general.

4. Not only did I manage to find a blog called "the hauntological society," but it has a post about the Museum of Witchcraft. I would love to visit this place. The ideological differences between these two videos is pretty major. The first, newer, one is much more compelling. The the second one is so old fashioned but has some great imagery.

Sometimes the events in the world are unbearable in their heaviness. The internet allows deep voyeurism into a broader range of visual stimuli than I ever imagined in my pre-AOL youth. I really need an internet vacation, but won't get one for a few more months. So this morning, I'm aiming for neutrality.

It's true that I'm passionate about clothes...

2011-03-09T22:08:00.007-08:00

Proenza Schouler pre-fall 2011

...clothes, not fashion, and not style.

I'm self-aware enough to know that there are too many words on this blog about clothes, and that my writing will never be taken seriously when it's just about my love for them.

I'm probably not doing a good job of crafting a professional self because I'm too uncertain about the stakes in that game. I don't want to play a game. I want to live passionately and with my whole being, without compromising my feelings about my clothes, without abandoning those worth my love and care before ever meeting them.

Jil Sander FW 2011

Adulthood is a concept that makes you act according to standards that are not your own. If you are approximately 11 years of age or older, you are actively shaping the world according to your own desires -- you are already doing what we mistakenly believe some other adults, somewhere else, are doing to us. You're making the world in your image every day.

Mary Katrantzou FW2011

Every day might not be a choice. Time may be circular rather than linear, and we may be predestined or fated to powers greater than ourselves. But that's where we have the most freedom. The freedom to not worry. Not to not give a shit, that's no good. But to not allow anxiety, guilt, shame, stress, or panic to consume our beauty and potential.

In Postmodern Fables, Jean-François Lyotard writes:

Differences between the fine arts proceed from differences between... the various ways, all contingent, the body has been threatened by nullity, of being anesthetized: deaf, color-blind, bedridden, etc. Aesthetics is phobic, it arises from anesthesia, belonging to it, recovering from it. You sing for not hearing, you paint for not seeing, you dance for being paralyzed. In each of these arts, the tiniest phrase is equivalent to a remission of pain.*

Aesthetic experience awakens something indescribable that makes demands of us. I can't not be inspired when in awe of a garment. I can't resist the urge to care for it deeply, even its passing image on a glowing screen. I can't imagine an inability to be with things in this intimate way. Take these things away and the inevitable result is a deep sadness. A lack of pride in one's appearance can be truly damaging.

I can't deny that The Row FW11 totally stopped me in my web browsing tracks.

My mother was adopted from Korea by a strict and domineering American woman with a savior complex who forbade her wearing anything other than homemade mumus as a teen. This was during the 1970s in Hawaii. She stole blue jeans and tight tops, or borrowed them from girlfriends. She would hide behind palm trees to change out of her mumus and into her jeans everyday before arriving at school, such was the pain of humiliation in her mumus, which, btw, were made in twos so she and her adoptive (not genetic) younger sister might match. This story, told to me as I was granted freedom to fashion myself however I pleased from about 3 years old onward, has been deeply seared into my memory.

Sure, it's a Western social construct to need to seem "cool," and my childhood consumerist desires knew no bounds. But after exhausting all critique something undeniable remains. We might call that a love of fashion. We can also call it an embrace of life itself.

Celine pre-fall 2011

ALL PHOTOS ELLE.COM
*From xii, here. bold emphasis added.

Birth Skin/Death Leather

2011-03-08T09:23:00.003-08:00

Saturday was my birthday. I love being a Pisces, but I don't love that it's still snowing here. My birthdays were always a little chilly, but never so cold. This did give me an occasion to wear what's actually a Christmas present, though. This vintage fur (my first):

Please excuse the smirk. (This was the end of the night.) Please also excuse that curtain of shoes.
That's a CDG wallet (see below) spilling out of a vintage Coach tinypurse.

I'm pretty sure these were the wrong gloves.

Those were taken at nighttime, so hence the yellow house lighting. This was taken during the day with the light on. Aren't the stripes kinda rad?

This was taken during the same time as above with the lights off. My point is, the jacket and my face are not that yellow. But not this silver/gray either. Try to image something in between. Light and color are weird and I'm not a master of their ways.

I also got a REALLY SPECIAL PRESENT from Michael. I know its shitty to show off presents. I always hated the days after Christmas back at school when all the bourgeois kids would show off/brag about the goods, and I would just try to escape and pretend my press on nails were only the tip of my present bounty iceberg.

But the thing about this present is that it's not random or whimsical. It's exactly what I've wanted for many years now. I've had it on this "wish list" I keep. This, exact, specific, one. Prior to knowing about it's existence in the world, I wanted a Vuitton red epi-leather (non-logo, looks kinda like wood grain) wallet in the same shape. So this desire has stayed consistent with my style throughout all my voting age years thus far, and I image using it to death into the distant future.

So, I had a happy birthday. The fur was so warm and cozy. I didn't want to take it off. Here's me, totally pleased with life. Don't be alarmed by Hamilton the Owl, he's always creeping in the background on our couch.

Speaking of getting older, holler if ya hear me re: this post title. Where were you in 2002?

Designing Woman

2011-03-02T16:59:00.001-08:00

So far this year I remain not a girl, and not yet a woman. But I'm starting to embrace the possibilities that come along with more grown-up performances. Well, the outfit possibilities at least. Two weeks ago I attended my first professional conference in Atlanta. This is a recreation of how I looked when I presented my first academic paper.

(Hi! Did you miss my face?)

The blazer is secondhand, made by Banana Republic. This Max Studio blouse (see details here) is one of the few things I bought in my early 20s that has become more integral to my wardrobe as I've gotten older. BDG high waisted black denim and Via Spiga oxfords.

It was so gorgeous in Atlanta. The day I wore this outfit I did not need any additional outerwear, because it was 72 degrees. I was so into my life that I asked a stranger on a whim where to go to see more of the city. (I was stuck in a typical hotel/university downtown setting.) His advice led me to an area filled with things like used book stores, natural food stores, hordes of people I felt much older than in my blazer (the youth of today), and lots of vintage/secondhand shops. I'm that easy to read, apparently.

But as soon as I was deep into the overfilled racks at a large crowded resale store, with a long ass line trailing past the entrance, I was in my element. I realize that it's a bit douchey to do exactly what you like to do at home wherever you go. But you know what? Fuck that. I am perfectly content in my ways. The racks at the general, large resale clothing store in any city will tell me just about everything I need to know about a new place in under an hour. And they will provide me the greatest of souvenirs, like THIS:

(The blazer is also black, it's just a strange neoprene-like material so it has a sheen that makes it look a little different here than in person.)

This is a piece of the city's history that's relevant to me: a vintage Liz Claiborne sheer button-up with two front pockets and an allover flower print. It's my discount Miu Miu. And it worked perfectly with what I already had on.

This shirt is gonna be so versatile.
PS: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Designing_Women

Knitwearawareness Day, or, Crazy. Sexy. Wool.

2011-02-17T22:22:00.000-08:00

Winter may be coming to an end, but it's worth reflecting on the recent dominance of knitwear in fashion. Knitwear is of course a cold weather staple, but the range of styles, colors, and knit garment types seen lately - basically the adaptation of knit techniques to so many creative designs - is what I'm talking about. I'm talking about the resurgence of Pringle of Scotland, last season's Prada sweaters, dresses, and tights, and amazingness like this, by Sandra Backlund:

Since living in Minnesota for the past 3 years, I have deepened my appreciation for such things. I was seeking knit leggings 2 winters ago, which led to this prescient post on the topic of this morning's post:

the emerging brand isobel and cleo.

I first fell in love the those knit leggings, but the brand is expanding into all sorts of other knit wearables. Here is a sampling from the past couple fall seasons:

More leggings...

I really love the patterned texture on this "pine cone" shrug...

****

Charlotte, the knitwear designer behind Isobel and Cleo (who cites Backlund as her favorite knit designer) contacted us with some recent news, an update that we were happy to hear about and to share with all of you!

Since the time of my last post, Charlotte has been awarded funding from the Scottish Arts Council, has moved from Scotland to Philadelphia to work in knitwear design for a major company, and most recently has been chosen as a semi-finalist in the Emerging Designers Competition in Charleston Fashion Week, a competition open to anyone living in the eastern states. And that's where you come in...

She is running a kickstarter campaign to raise the money needed to complete the collection for the design competition. Something of note: Charlotte is interested in environmentally conscious fashion (she gives a 20% discount on custom orders who request the use of recycled or organic materials). Fittingly, then, she's also donating a portion of the funds she raises to Heifer International, a charity that purchases livestock for families around the world. She will send funds toward the purchase of a llama, an alpaca, a sheep, and an angora rabbit -- the very animals whose furs she is using to create the fashion week collection.

Here is the link to that campaign, where you can learn a whole lot more about her efforts.

She sent over these images of some works in progress:

Um, how did she know the way to my heart is with adorable pups?

The fund raising campaign is set to close this Monday, February 21st! I really hope she is able to complete the collection.

twit

2011-02-10T19:26:00.000-08:00

just PS, I joined the twitter...

http://twitter.com/#!/loveshipsusie

Lurking on Matthew Ames

2011-02-10T18:18:00.000-08:00

I'm intrigued by Matthew Ames. He lives and works in Brooklyn, and yet decided not to show at New York Fashion Week, suggesting instead that he "will introduce a new direction to the way he presents clothes."

These are pictures from when Matthew Ames did present at Fashion Week, Fall 2010.

^This is my dream look in case I ever actually grow up to be a professor. Imma go practice that scowl in the mirror right now.

Loving this quilted jacket so much I'll put more pictures of it in this very same post.

I am not surprised by this decision of non-NYFW-participation because I lurk his blog, Matthew Ames Journal. His most recent post is a reprint of an interview with Fran Leibowitz, in which she shares her disdain for the whole tent-ridden affair and suggests they should just show it all live online since the whole fashion scene of yesteryear, of which she felt like a special insider, has gone by the wayside in the great downfall of civilized high society due to our shit loving culture. It's a fun read for a contrarian like myself, but I don't take much of what she says to heart. Apparently, Ames does, at least to the extent that he shares her sentiments regarding the shows.

But in the past few months, I've been more interested in the images circulating of the things he makes. Here are some pictures I saved into a folder on my laptop and have waited for a while to show you!

These 3 are from Encens and in each, the Ames piece is the jacket.

The top 2 are my inspiration for working ornate pattern and vibrant colors into the mix with clean lines, draping, and volume... all while not looking like a complete bag lady. Still not sure I can pull it off IRL. I'll show you if I manage.

The Backstory (from facebook):

Matthew Ames was born in Washington D.C. in 1979 and grew up in Illinois and Michigan. He earned a BFA from The School of The Art Institute of Chicago in 2003. After working at the atelier of Jurgi Persoons in Antwerp, Belgium, Ames relocated to New York where he began working as a design assistant to Miguel Adrover. In 2004, he was selected as the first American finalist for the Festival de la Mode à Hyères in France. Ames showed his first women’s wear collection in 2005 and opened a studio in Brooklyn, New York. In 2009, Ames received the 8th annual Ecco Domani Fashion Foundation Award and in 2010 was nominated as a finalist for The Fashion Group International Rising Star Award in women’s wear design. Ames lives and works in Brooklyn, New York.

You see? I lurk hard when I like something. It's not surprising to find on the Journal things like this 1984 article on the "minimalism trend" in American sportswear led by Perry Ellis, Calvin Klein, Giorgio Armani, and Geoffrey Beene. I loved this: "the clothes are not so constricting that women have to mince steps." I still get sad when I see young women on their way to the club, perched on the balls of their feet and looking like when you try to get your dog to dance on its hind legs. Which is another reason I'm loving these looks: all are worn with the most perfect simple loafers.

I have some more fantastic images to share with you.

(again...)

Basically, I wish I could dive right into this picture and be this woman. You would never see more than half my face again.

Another blog: Of Another Fashion

2011-02-04T10:23:00.002-08:00

I just wanted to spread the word on one of my favorite new tumblr blogs. It's called Of Another Fashion, and appeals to my sensibilities not least because of my nerdy love of historical documentation of culture and interest in work that challenges the dominant, watered down and whitewashed version of history most of us who went to public school suffered through without learning much.

It's written by Minh-Ha T. Pham, "an academic whose research interests include fashion, gender, and labor in the Web 2.0 economy." Pham also writes collaboratively with Mimi Thi Nguyen over at the more in-depth fashion/culture/history/politics/theory blog threadbared.

She describes her purpose as such in a recent interview:

The exhibition and the blog are more specifically responses to the curatorial and critical neglect of the sartorial histories of women of color...Of Another Fashion intends to remedy this historical amnesia...

So far, these have been some of my favorites:

Howard University flappers at a football game, circa 1920s.

This is from when the Sartorialist ran a vintage photo contest a while back. Of Another Fashion points out that the series featured only 3 images of people of color.

Model Charlotte Stribling a.k.a “Fabulous” at a Harlem fashion show at the Abyssinian Church, 1950.

Studying in a WWII Japanese internment camp, by Ansel Adams.

From a feature on the "androgynous" look, from Ebony in the 1960s.

Of Another Fashion has regularly featured contemporary adaptations and Native American designers who incorporate traditional design and fabric-making techniques.

The interview at PSFK givea a bit more background about what is meant by this "historical amnesia," which is reflected in some of these great archival finds:

...But probably the greatest discovery I’ve made so far in this curatorial project is the richness of minoritized fashion and glamour cultures that, though they existed in the margins of the U.S. cultural consciousness, have also thrived there. In my academic life, in my research on the digital fashion media complex, I’ve read a lot of fashion histories and a lot of fashion theory. And yet it was only through working on Of Another Fashion that I learned about L’tanya Griffin, a model and the first African American designer to have had an exclusive contract with a Hollywood studio in the 1950s, or about Remonia Jacobsen or Jewel Gilham, two very well established Native American fashion designers in the 1970s or about the fashion model Charlotte “Fabulous” Stribling who was Harlem’s It girl in the 1950s. I also didn’t know that fashion shows were popular activities in Japanese internment camps during World War II or that the Harlem Institute of Fashion even existed!

Together, these ads, family photos, events, and individuals are all part of the rich texture of U.S. fashion history that most fashion scholars and feminist cultural historians barely know. And what is revealed through Of Another Fashion has implications for our understanding not just of fashion history, but also our understanding of women whose everyday lives and fantasies (since we’re talking about fashion) are too often considered not important enough to document or study.

Of Another Fashion:

add it to your Google Reader today.

A Late Start

2011-02-03T10:37:00.000-08:00

Double Happiness, 2009. Swingset billboard, an "urban reanimation device" installed as part of the Shenzhen-Hong Kong Bi-City Biennial of Urbanism and Architecture.

Didier Faustino works "on the border between art and architecture."

Double Happiness responds to the society of materialism where individual desires seem to be prevailing over all. This nomad piece of urban furniture allows the reactivation of different public spaces and enables inhabitants to reappropriate fragments of their city. They will both escape and dominate public space through a game of equilibrium and desequilibrium. By playing this “risky” game, and testing their own limits, two persons can experience together a new perception of space and recover an awareness of the physical world.

[More at We Find Wildness.]

--------------------

I love to go on swings. Especially at night. Swinging makes me feel woozy, but if I see an empty swing a magnetic pull forces my feet in its direction. If I'm with someone else, I always timidly ask if we can go on the swings. Sometimes I get pushy about it. I sit and gently twirl, or I challenge myself to go as high as possible. I am afraid of falling out, afraid of jumping. I end up with nausea, a reminder that I'm getting "too old." But that never stops me from wanting the feeling the swing offers.

This image reminds me of how I want to live. It reminds me that I have to create times that change the pace, that slow time down or accelerate it beyond the usual. I didn't feel anything this Western New Year, and so made no lists or resolutions at all. I'm not Chinese and frankly don't know much about the tradition, but I am pretty sure it's important to pause and reflect on the general direction of things. Right now, I could use a good swing.

Presently Feeling

2011-01-22T17:51:00.004-08:00

I've been revisiting my old friend, style.com. It's been a while. Spring fashion wasn't really something I could even think about until very recently. Looks started showing up in magazines, with declarations about White! Colors! Prints! and so I was compelled to look. Kinda boring stuff this round, no? I mean, I'm way late. Entire months have passed since the runway shows. And, yes, I love the Prada flat platforms. But the clothes? What am I missing?

I'm much more drawn to a few pre-fall collections and some of the fall menswear shows right now. I'm not a buyer or editor, so the fashion cycle really doesn't matter to my life. I just take the vast output of creativity seen in show cycles as a point of departure for thinking about where I want to take my own look in the coming season. Right now, I'm really feeling this fall 2011 Walter Van Beirendonck.

The presentation made me smile. The models' antennae and face paint give them an otherworldly, cartoonish vibe. But when you break it down to its components, the looks are composed of mostly well-tailored and wearable suits, shirts, and sweaters - with the option of unbuttoning the underside of sleeves to make a cape, giving our man options.

But for me, a lady who won't wear a full suit, I'm feeling the way grayscale and other neutrals are mixed with vibrant colors. Unlike the extreme color blocking set against stark white of Jil Sander, or the colors gone wild at Prada (which I don't see as really viable looks for myself, both are far too shiny) this mixes what I already love about head-to-toe neutral monochrome with aqua, kelly green, hot pink, and yellow.

I've suppressed my love for these sorts of colors for some time now, but I think finding a way to have the clean, polished look seen here -- just under the surface of wacky hair and a few unwearable (for most) patchwork and shag rug creations -- with some extra bright touches, especially in the shoes, will bring me springtime dressing joy. I'll show you in five more months...

It's In the Blends

2011-01-18T19:24:00.001-08:00

This is a post about a recent sweater bounty and the related sweater lessons I've learned in the past 3 years of dealing with actual winter. It really did take 3 winters for this shit to sink into my brain mush, too. That's how entrenched my ideas about clothes were in my early 20s.

But let's just look at the goods, then talk after.

1. The chunky knit

After making that text bigger I meditated on the phrase "chunky knit" long enough for it to become an absurd series of sounds. Then, I googled "chunky knit," as I came to disbelieve that people could use this phrase as a description for clothing. All I can think about right now are these Campbell's chunky soup commercials that make eating soup seem fucking manly. Also, the second search result for "chunky knit" (after shopstyle.com) was a personal twitter, @chunkyknit. He likes Devendra Banhart, apparently.

But the real lesson of this chunky knit sweater is in its ingredients. Haggar Casuals was not fucking around when it comes to maximizing comfort in every way with this blend. Unlike so many wool fisherman's style sweaters at the top of every trend whore's Christmas wish list, this delicate and soft ugly vintage sweater is silky smooth but still very thick and warm. The silk seems to help it drape rather than take on the classic round shape of so many heavy wool vintage sweaters. And surprisingly, there is no wool at all. Just cotton and silk. Also, it's taupe, which sealed the deal.

2. The Cher Horowitz

I wouldn't have called it that, but the first day I wore this out two different people connected it to Clueless in less than an hour. I guess an entire generation will forever associate cropped sweaters and collared shirts with our girl Cher. I can't lie, it's sort of what I was going for.

This time silk and wool come together. It may seem silly or a little OCD to get this into the tags on my clothing, but I've realized that I have favorites when it comes to fabric blends. I don't like to buy vintage nylon, acrylic, or polyester no matter how quirky the animal print sweater may be, because I'll never wear something that makes me sweat to death and feel itchy. I'm delicate like that. Before this 3-sweater purchase my only non-cardigan full-frontal-coverage sweater involved a sash/bow, was from H&M, and was made entirely of black acrylic. One day, I walked 4 blocks in the snow and was covered in heat rash by the time I got home because of that sweater. I sold it to Buffalo Exchange.

3. The classic black crew neck

It's only within the last year of life that I have truly embraced and begun to regularly wear the crew neck. Actually, let's make that within the last month. Growing up, I avoided them completely because of a weird fear of choking. I'm neurotic about things touching the front of my neck (throat), but these sweaters are soft and stretchy enough not to make me gag. To be honest, my interest in this shape was sparked in part through dead fleurette's numerous posts about such lovely basics on her blog.

It must also sound crazy that I wasn't wearing crew necks in Minnesota before, but it was truly just this year that I realized I should keep my chest warm and set out to find some of these ugly things. Before, I just wore a lot of cardigan and scarf combos and looked more J. Crew than I'm comfortable with. Winter style... what a bummer. Anyhow, this photo doesn't show the blend, but this one's 85% cotton and 15% cashmere, which also works out amazingly. Full cashmere is way too fluffy grandparent. Cotton helps keep it really thin and breathable and the cashmere adds just a tiny bit of extra softness.

I bought all three of these secondhand at Buffalo Exchange in Minneapolis. 1 and 3 were over on the men's side of the aisle. Each was around $20 or less. I think I did pretty well that day.

Unsnowy Moments

2011-01-13T13:14:00.001-08:00

Our trip to the bay area was far too brief, but filled with goodness. Mostly, we indulged in the loving company of very good friends and a lot of food. We also bought a couple garment-y things. I didn't photo essay the whole trip, but there were some lovely moments in the sun and a notable shopping experience I thought I'd share.

There are hardly any photos of me from this trip, but it's fine because basically I wore this coat the entire time. The always beautiful Gerald makes another appearance! Looking at this picture makes me realize how much I love growing older.

Speaking of getting old, a week before leaving I found these hardly worn Tod's suede loafers secondhand for $17. I got to break them in, here at Golden Gate park.

That park was incredibly beautiful. I was freaking out the whole trip about seeing so much plant life again. I made Mike sit here because the light looked like Fern Gully.

Later, I tried on these United Nude heels and figured I should buy them because it's vacation, they were on a serious markdown, they are surprisingly easy to walk in, and why not? Spring will eventually happen again, I'm almost sure.

Speaking of the new year in dressing, spring, summer, being older in 2011, personal style, and all that business... Something occurred to me on this trip. I am bored of my style. Very, very bored. There is so much plainness and I don't get to wear my "show pieces" as I call them, like, ever. Winter is tough.

But Mike and I had one of those magical shop experiences that restores hope. We went to Modern Appealing Clothing, and fell in love with the entire store and the amazing owners. I got to fondle the fall Dries collection, the dreamiest Jil Sander bag, Walter Van Bierendonck sweaters, and some real good Margiela. And when we left, our purchases were placed inside this rad canvas tote by an artist, Tara Tucker. It's a "bored boar."

Mike found a slim cut Woolrich jacket that fits nearly perfect off the rack, and an awesome cotton scarf by Engineered Garments with a vintage paisley print.

I can't wait to borrow the scarf.

On a side note, I love the texture of his shoes.

Back at Modern Appealing Clothing (I'm not sure, are you supposed to call it by the full name, or pronounce the acronym by letter, or say the word "mac"?) I had a moment that has stayed with me. I was drawn to these tights by Tsumori Chisato.

This pair is really thick and warm sweater material, which makes sense for my winter situation.

This pair is just really special.

And a touch subversive in their cuteness.

Holding both in my hands, I realized that I want more prints in my life. I know that's right on trend for spring, but it's something I've been thinking about and working toward for some time now. (It's not like prints are really new or anything.) But prints, like colors, are so much harder. At this point I think that I had to go "minimal" (black) in my early-mid-twenties as a master cleanse for my outsides. There was just so much bad junk clogging up my appearance. It became really easy to drape myself in black white and gray, but I need a new challenge. It's true that I've never totally abandoned prints. I have polka dots, plaids, an elephants in a jungle skirt, tie dyes, laces... But I don't feel as at ease styling them, and I don't rotate them into the everyday wear quite as much.

I ended up explaining my ongoing love of prints and weirdness (as opposed to my other love of chic minimalism) to one of the (presumed) owners of MAC, who told me that my personal style is probably somewhere in between the two. He is totally right. I think I just have to figure out the most comfortable balance so I don't feel like I'm playing dress up as either a chic minimalist power woman or a quirky art girl, because I'm not really either of those things.

Escape

2011-01-02T22:21:00.004-08:00

We had what I'll call an "understated" holiday season this year. But tomorrow morning that will all change, as we get the fuck up outta Minnesota.

No more snow mounds taller than me.
No more walking on ice sheets.
No more negative temperatures.
No more not going outdoors at all for entire days, simultaneously (weird!).

And hello San Francisco, California!

------------

Here is what we won't be missing.

Although it does look kind of idyllic in photos, this environment is my white oppressor.

But we try to have fun with it. Like this one time last week when Mike wore a vintage Pendleton tweed coat with a fur collar, paired with sweatpants (Christmas gift from me, ha!) and rubber boots to walk with me to check in on a friend's cats.

Or this other time when I dressed up as a winter hobo (polka dot tights!).

One of the most comforting outfits of my winter.

The amount of snow dumped upon us this season is frightening.

But these Dr. Marten's boots have been coming through for me in a big way.

So there's that.

But we are going to forget about it all for five wonderful days, and I'm planning to go bare-ankle as much as possible. While Mike grew up in northern California, I've never spent much time there. I would love any suggestions of places to go and things to do in the bay area.

Happy New Year!

Avant-Tarde

2010-12-27T20:00:00.003-08:00

Earlier this month, I wrote about unsubscribing from Elle. In the meantime, I have wondered why I don't just subscribe to something consistently amazing like Encens instead.

With magazines like Elle, I had to ignore so much bullshit to isolate those few kernels of goodness that are wholesome and nutritious for my mind. Encens, on the other hand, is so near to perfection. And yet...

I suppose this ambivalence is related to how I negotiate conventionality versus that something-like-originality that many who strive for something else strive toward. I guess that might be one way to think about "style." I am OK with the fact that's it's all process and nothing so totalizing as Achieving Good Style will ever be realized (at least not by me). I quite enjoy the process and learning new things along the way. But the question of what I am becoming never leaves my mind. Not that the future is a thing in whose names we should all shape our lives,* but I cannot resist wondering if I should work to become the type of matured woman who one day decides that from some specific moment on I'll mark myself a permanent outsider, possibly with, oh, I don't know, a gigantic avant-garde all black beehive and veil.

Ms. Diane Pernet is a remarkable woman who I respect and admire, but is this "not me"? Most likely, it is not. I can't imagine, for example, spending my time with a prepubescent boy who wears Rick Owens.

In some book I have because I went to college, Peter Bürger writes:

"The avant-garde not only negates the category of individual production but also that of individual reception. The reactions of the public during a dada manifestation where it has been mobilized by provocation, and which can range from shouting to fisticuffs, are certainly collective in nature. True, these remain reactions, responses to a preceding provocation. Producer and recipient remain clearly distinct, however active the public may become. Given the avant-gardiste intention to do away with art as a sphere that is separate from the praxis of life, it is logical to eliminate the antithesis between producer and recipient."

Bürger characterizes the avant-garde as interested in a couple of things: challenging bourgeois culture's premises and ideologies, and creating the space of a liberating life praxis in which a producer-recipient dichotomy is overcome... Only, this leads him to point out that this dangerously leads toward individualist solipsism.

His warning is important because those "couple of things" can easily translate into the basic formula for becoming every art school douchebag ever.

But the big long quote above is still really interesting for thinking about avant-garde-ism in fashion-as-consumer-product. And I think the tension in this book relates to my ambivalence of both loving such fashion and being resistant to a wholesale embrace of it as my lifestyle brand.

What is the fashion avant-garde when such creations become objects of fetishistic desire? And what do people really mean when they use the avant-word to talk about such unattainable designer creations? If there is an interest in something more than tapping consumer desire, if designers might also be reaching for that space where creativity broaches bourgeois norms, what do we as active recipients do to close the gap between the designers as producers and our life praxis, to move toward that space in between art and reality? And is this even a worthy goal?

I sometimes wonder if challenging "norms" just for the sake of it makes you an asshole if you are over the age of 21, and also think that believing in Individuality is foolish. I'm just really interested in this bit about collective reactions to things and sublating the producer-recipient relationship. In Bürger's book, he echoes most critical thought of the late 20th century by making sure to distinguish between a "real" sublation, and a "false" one. The false one happens when things become commodities. According to that definition, fashion would be cast aside immediately. But I don't think that's right.

I think there are a couple ways around this. First, we can say that it doesn't actually matter whether or not things are commodities. Things are things, all things are seen to have certain values, or not. It's not just the economy, stupid! (A Clinton joke should really not be allowed.) Or, we can say that the creations in this case are never "real" to us anyhow, since like, no one can afford that shit. So it's just a fantasy image through which we hatch our own plans.

That way, we are imagining for ourselves, placing ourselves on the same platform of creative possibility as our favorite art star designers.

John and Yoko asked us to "Imagine." That resonated with so many, even moreso than George Michael's "Freedom." Our politics in the West is obsessed with this notion of freedom, which is different than imagination. What if our politics were premised on imagination? Thinking and doing differently? Is this what we can embody in dress?

All the way back in 1984, a year before I was born and long before I was forced to buy this particular book for my college class, Peter Bürger asked "whether the distance between art and the praxis of life is not requisite for that free space within which alternatives to what exists become conceivable."

Maybe they were onto something with that Comme des Garcons for H&M, afterall. Any maybe I should just order myself a few back issues of Encens.

------
*Seriously, that link is a pretty good read. The recent "Declaration on the Notion of "The Future" is basically where my thinking is at right now regard "time" ("temporality" when I'm being an asshole).

Book quotes from Theory of the Avant-Garde by Peter Bürger.

Note: The images after Diane were top results in a google search for "avant-garde fashion."

Ugh, I'm sorry for how gross this looks in google reader. It's prettier on the actual site...

I'm living in the future so the present is my past

2010-12-23T14:58:00.000-08:00

Michael in 20 years?

I hope so.

(photo via Jak & Jil)

anywho

2010-12-18T16:11:00.000-08:00

As noted over on the list to the right, I'm a big fan of the anywho blog. I'm also happy that blogging has opened up a space for people to create the kinds of products they want to see in the world, with Tavi planning some sort of Sassy-esque mag with its original founder Jane Pratt, and Zana's great successes in leatherworks of recent note.

Another blogger enterprising endeavor that I am already primed to favor is the recently created anywho shop with a few their own designs. While these are basically big sizeless and shapeless drapings to give yourself some top-layer drama, they are perfectly done with wide lapels, what appear to be sack-like pockets, and raw edged sleeves for self-altering. The colors are excellent, and the blanket shape just seems to be the garment ideal for the winter season. I'm not joking when I say that I both lust for one of these jackets, and think it's barely not a Snuggie.

Let's roll those images, shall we?

My favorite:

Sure, it seems that with the right scissor work, or even just the right draping technique, you could achieve the look for only $14.95. Of course everything looks better on a tall Scandinavian model wearing platforms and a bodysuit.

HOWEVER, that would be like when people look at modern art and say, "My kid could do that." Yes, it's true. You or even your child could create a modern masterpiece, but did they? No, they did not. They probably watched TV, and now wear a Snuggie while watching TV.

The women of anywho, like so many Americas, simply wanted to wear a blanket with sleeves. The desire to do so is undeniable. In fact, I'm draped in a blanket right now, wishing it had sleeves. The logic is sound. But I, unlike most Americans, would prefer to spend a couple hundred dollars on a fashion blanket made out of wool than to buy a $14.95 -- or even a $24.95 microplush zebra print -- Snuggie. And that is one reason why I write this blog.

Prezzies

2010-12-15T16:45:00.002-08:00

As you may be aware, the gift giving holiday season is upon us. If you are Jewish, it has already concluded and I'm sorry I didn't think to do this sooner. Honestly, this post is probably too late to help most people, but since it's the season for giving, I thought I would share some excellent gift choices with you.

I would never make a list just to encourage rampant consumption. But after a few recent etsy purchases, I remembered just how special its community of members can be. So many etsy purchases come with an extra free gift, a handwritten thank you note, beautiful packaging, discount codes, etc. I appreciate that these independent artisans and vintage hunters put such care into every step from creating to marketing their work. So, as a strong supporter of what etsy offers, I thought I'd share a few of my favorite shops with handmade things as a seasonal shopping list thing. Or, you can just bookmark for special present giving occasions in the future.

____________

1. Rennes

I stumbled upon this bag recently. I don't have a need that would justify it, since I got my ClareVivier handmade leather number this year, and it's been all I need in a daily bag. But perhaps you or someone you like enough to spend a lot of money on needs a new bag? A beautiful hand crafted one in this perfect color and shape?

Rennes hails from Boston, MA and describes the label as a small operation run out of a home studio. There are many more bags and small pouches in the shop, but this one is close to perfection.

2. Peeko

I am very intrigued by this particular garment, which is upcycled from vintage trousers and incorporates a harness. I can't deny that I'm also pretty into this woman's neck tattoo.

Peeko is from Calgary, Canada and focuses on sustainability in her designs. As with Rennes above, this is hands down the highlight of the shop from my perspective, though you should go look and decide for yourself.

3. BlackMarketBaby by Audrey Cantwell

This 'Storm Cloak' seems to me a practical and necessary basic.

Audrey Cantwell is probably on my radar due to cross-blogger promoting. Her items are made by hand in Montreal, and she offers something pretty special amidst all that twee vintage.

4. Element Clay Studio

These sea urchin and scallop bowls are among my favorite things in the etsysphere. They are made by Heather Knight, working form Asheville, NC. I would like to have one of each thing from her entire store. They would fit perfectly into my home decor.

I have browsed this shop for the beautiful images on so many occasions. I appreciate those shops that make for good computer-window shopping. This one is at the top of my list.

5. Sycamore Street Press

Basically, I'm a sucker for all the components of this shop's brand. They heavily feature French bulldogs, pugs, and other adorable creatures, and the cards are made on a vintage letterpress. I am pretty sure I need to place an order now.

Most of their products are printed with soy based ink on 100% recycled paper, and come to you from Heber City, UT, wherever that is.

____________

That concludes today's broadcast. For those of you out there with etsy accounts, I think you should share some of your favorite shops as well. What am I missing out on?

Blanket Shapes

2010-12-12T12:07:00.004-08:00

This is from a few months back, and has been on my mind since. I don't follow models very closely, but am familiar with those that get constant mention in magazines. Freja Beha Erichsen falls into that category. I see her face and read her name a lot lately. And, I do quite like her hair.

The whole feel of this is just so right. She poses in interesting configurations without jumping up in the air even once. Why, in American Vogue, do the models need to be airborne so often with a ponytail that is in a zero gravity levitation behind their heads? I should look into that.

There is a noteworthy lack of bullshit here. Just complex dark draping and rich fabrics accessorized with odd braided dangling bits and deep red foliage. Not to mention this cover with a huge black hat. All things point toward this speaking to my deep and innermost personal brand.

I'm in love with these trousers.

This, for me, is a highlight.

What is this garment? I need it.

Saved my favorite for last.

All photos via Paper Mode

Winter Weight (Switcheroo number 2)

2010-12-10T10:21:00.002-08:00

Is there a prize for writing the worst title ever in the history of blogging? Do I win?

Everything about this sweater is so appropriate for our world. This is the best sweater ever. I love it. Mike loves it. It's chunky and heavy weight, just like the two of us right now as we watch the sunset together from behind a frosty window at 4pm and commence eating chili, bread, and potato products for the rest of the evening. Our lives rule so much. Sometimes, I wonder if I'll ever leave this great state. That's a joke; we will certainly leave.

But you came here for clothes, not my neurotic inability to handle winter. And this sweater will be with us no matter where this crazy world takes us. It will remain. It's just that versatile. It's so right for our lifestyle. How appropriate that Mike always refers to its color as "oatmeal." That's what I'll be eating for breakfast soon, because oatmeal is hot. Hot breakfast. Disgusting. I prefer all my meals room temperature and 90% fruit or vegetable. That's not what's up right now, in Minnesota.

Both of the items featured on Mike's body are amazing for us both. The warm double breasted sweater cardigan combined with the soft thick flannel charcoal gray shirt is a perfect winter pairing. I like these colors. Mike is stealing my palette lately, and our world is getting more and more gray, taupe, and neutral. I like to wear both of these pieces, and I like it when he wears them, too. That dark gray shirt is really the best.

So much wonderful texture. This was a secondhand purchase, and probably ranks among the all time greatest hits.

I now resolve not to write about 1) myself, 2) the fact of winter, or 3) Minnesota for the rest of the month. I have other content in store for you that doesn't involve any of the above 3 things. Thank you for your continued support and patience.

Reasons why I won't be resubscribing to Elle

2010-12-08T19:52:00.000-08:00

Elle magazine wants my continued business.

And yours.

And I truly want to support print publications. But when I open that desperate plea of a cover to the actual cover only to see the "Bombshell in Bloom" starring in: "The ACCESSORIES," you can imagine my disappointment.

I have decided not to resubscribe. Here is a short list of reasons why.

1. Irrelevant celebrities (cont. from above) ad nauseam:

2. Dated trends presented as the "new" ideas:

3. Content not suited to my lifestyle, to say the least:

Apparently there is a poppin "nightlife" at the ski resort, to which you should wear a gown and fur?

Or, if you're more into spending lavish amounts of money being catered to by brown people in their natural habitat rather that Aspen, there is this.

But wait, there's more.

4. Finally, um, "Arm yourself for murder on the Orient Express"?

This on the following page does not fix it:

I'm not trying to hate, really. This is obviously a culling together of what were, in my opinion, some notable lows of the last few issues. To be fair, during my year as a subscriber, I enjoyed numerous well-done profiles and editorials. But at best, it was "spot on," at worst:

Shit, I couldn't choose between these two to make my point!

I just think that it's time to be a bit more selective on the glossy paper publications I let into my home. I hate dragging a big heavy pile of these things out to the recycling bin. I would like to try to just buy especially good issues from a variety of sources, including Elle, on those occasions when it's worth the paper it's printed on.

Miss Michael?

2010-12-07T14:54:00.000-08:00

One of the great challenges of this jointly-written endeavor is trying to achieve unity despite the separation of our perspectives. Our favorite blogging moments are when we intellectually collaborate on an essay post. But the separation of our voices is most glaring in the category of outfit posts, hands down the most psychically troubling yet self-gratifying aspect of blogging.

I deal with this slightly better than Michael, hence my greater number of outfit posts. I've come to learn over time that despite my anxiety about each post, you dear readers will either refrain from comments, or, treat me very kindly with generous and endearing commentary. (Thanks for yesterday!) The feedback is much appreciated, and gives me the encouragement to keep on.

Mike, on the other hand, rarely feels OK in front of the camera, but is definitely the member of this couple more consistently bringing his A-game to everyday dress in the real-life style arena. My boo regularly puts together killer outfits that make me swoon.

Such was the case yesterday. Per the usual, he refused my request to take his photo... at first. I know he also hates to write an outfit post. We were talking about this yesterday evening, and reached a hilarious conclusion while I was waxing lyrical about the very specific and nuanced reasons why I liked what he was wearing: I should write my thoughts about what he's wearing, and he should do the write-ups on my outfit posts.

Without consulting him, I just now decided to label this new feature of Loveship, "The switcheroo." Expect Susie outfits narrated by Mike and vice versa for the next lil while.

First up: Mike's yesterday outfit, the one that inspired this new ingenious idea.

The switcheroo came about organically. It's seed was planted yesterday afternoon, when Mike picked me and my girlfriend up from school, because we're in 8th grade and don't own cars. (Cue cheesy 80s hair metal and girls running down the stairs in front of a classic brick building -- we actually were emerging from just such a picturesque building.) As we got in the car, homegirl said to Mike, "Hey, you look great!" To which I added, "Yeeeaaah, you dooo look great!" Perhaps overcompensating just a little bit.

My initial reaction to his look was that it seemed very 1970s coke head, and that the car should have rightfully been either a) a T-top muscle car or b) a topless jeep. Toplessness apparently being the essential feature. It was so reminiscent of an era I'm aesthetically familiar with because, well, it immediately called to mind this image of my father in his 20s:

One of my favorite family photos for so many reasons.

I could just so easily picture Mike hanging out via time travel with my dad and his brother and sister (below), drinking Crown Royal and listening to Lynyrd Skynyrd, among my family's most cherished pastimes:

Again, amazing.

I'm trying to explain how something about this particular cognac colored leather jacket and these specific light wash Wranglers combined with the beard transcended my standard impression of a bearded leather jacket and plaid shirt wearing young man, if you know what I mean. I mean...

Let's take a closer look at these fabrics.

I can personally attest to the outstanding quality of this denim. It's so thick yet soft and smooth. They're the perfectly time-worn pair of jeans. Mike tells me that these are basically what he's been searching for for over a year. The cut is so right: slouchy in the thighs but tapered toward the ankle, vaguely Japanese in fit rather than dad-jean-ish. His only regret is wishing the wash was even lighter.

As for this beatiful jacket, which is soft as butter with a plaid cloth lining, it comes from a dear friend of ours who picked it out for Mike while thrifting. That's an amazing friend, especially considering he's vegan. (Our friend, not Mike.)

I tried to capture the full shoulder, but the two dimensionality issue of photos kinda makes it impossible. But that strap-like detailing continues across the back, and in my mind gives it a "cage" effect over the whole shoulder. Think a cage skirt for your biceps.

What else is there to say about these man items? That sweater is really warm and soft, and sometimes I wear it. I think that plaid shirt is also vintage Wrangler and has pearl buttons. I'm pretty sure it's like a wardobe staple or timeless or something. Old plaid shirts also fit the throwback vibes I've indicated with the old timey photos above. Now I'm just being vain when I reference a plaid shirt and light wash jeans again via my dad because, look, that's me as a baby!

Back to Mike's outfit. Here's another jacket detail:

He also had on these rad boots that he wears all the time (seen in the very first photos). I don't think they've ever been featured here on le blog. They are a yellowish brown color and are well made, meaning, expensive. They were bought new last year as a necessary winter work boot. You'll notice that as a work boot, they are not some Redwing bullshit, because Mike works indoors, not on the range, and he wears proper trousers with them to work, never denim. I remember that it was a real struggle to find a decent boot that wasn't so "rugged" but also not Kenneth Cole. I feel this pair has really grown on us both over the last year.

These gloves he wears all winter seem really warm and look cool. Here, they say "peace, ya'll."

Sequestrian

2010-12-05T21:00:00.000-08:00

I'm back with more tales from the tundra! I did something today that I'm feeling pretty excited to share, so I hope you enjoy. Basically, I decided it would be really cute for me to do an outfit shot outdoors in freezing weather. I truly hope that my idiot snow frolicking brings you great joy. Or, at least, some minor form of entertainment and bemusement.

As justification for these ridiculous actions, please note that for the past couple weeks I've been working non-stop from my home office. Sitting at my desk next to a growing pile of books, I've spent my free time eating snacks and watching the dark circles under my eyes intensify. Oh, and this is my view. It's pretty glamorous.

In case it's not really clear from that one, we've been having a bit of snow. And this is the view that's kept me more or less bedridden.

So when Mike finally had the day off, I wanted to take care of myself. Which means putting on my eyebrows and a decent outfit and leaving the house to go thrifting, eat pizza, and buy Charmin. No really, that was our day. And here is the context for that grand adventure.

But there is another story I need to tell you here, which isn't about my cabin fever. It's about my grandma bejeweled cardigan.

Normally, beaded cardigans are not allowed on my person. But I do have a soft spot for them in my heart ever since my early 2000s baby-bangs and A-line skirts days, when, of course, I wore them. Recently, I let one of these monstrosities back into my closet. Which led to the ever-present dilemma: how to wear it? I decided that the outfit overall should convey the opposite sensibility of the cardigan by itself.

And the degree of embellishment is in this case quite serious, with beads seemingly spewing forth more beads.

I cannot explain why, but I have had it in my mind for months now that I needed to channel Givenchy with this sweater. Not that I planned to revisit a single literal outfit, but I wanted to invoke the vibe of restraint and austerity combined with opulence. Collections overall tend to regularly include slim black trousers, crisp white shirting, but also bejeweling, ruffles that are more regal than girlish, and my favorite precious metal: gold. That was on my mind when conceptualizing wearing someone's dead great grandma's sweater like so:

That snow was deep, homies. And quite chilly.

I thought it would be fun to go closer to the lake. Here I go!

But a strong gust of icy wind hit me all of a sudden, and I quickly reconsidered. Here I come back! (So dumb!)

That was the most outdoor action I've had in a while. Probably a whole 3 minutes of fun. But look, I'm not the only weirdo running around in this deathly cold weather. Who is crazier: me or this guy?

At least the winter solstice is soon :/